So much of our lives is based on observation. We experience the world through a schedule, through a set amount of people, and through our completion of tasks. The day to day can be mundane, moving from school to work to home. Where do we find our happiness? How do we grow?

We find our happiness in making long-lasting connections with real people. We grow because we learn from others we look up to, from others who inspire us to be more productive, more creative, more anything we want to be.

Find your happiness.  Mine is art. — Find your happiness. Mine is art.

Why, then, do we not take advantage of these opportunities? Some could argue that blogging is a passive art, only for the ones of us who sit behind a screen and share our thoughts. To me, blogging is very active because I am constantly thinking, constantly searching for the words to say to express how I'm feeling at a certain moment. I am actively working on my social media presence, I am actively seeking opportunities to connect with fellow bloggers, and I am actively trying to promote a world based on real conversations, even if they are created by my online ones.

All I want to discover in life is why we are not always being intentional about our acquaintances and our relationships. Every person you meet has a different experience every day, and you do too. Why not engage them in a dialogue? Why not ask, truly ask, how their day is going?

"How are you? Good, how are you? Good!" This is not a conversation. This is a way to pass the time between seeing people, a way to pass the time between more meaningful interactions. Why can't we make every interaction meaningful? I fall into the black hole of these conversations too, I admit. It's easier to just move on and not talk about the difficult stuff sometimes.

What if, when someone asks how I am, I say, "Well, today has been difficult because..." What if I say, "I had a great conversation with this person, and we talked about..." What if I say, "I'm just so glad to see you because..." Why can't we cultivate this sense of relating to others even if we only see them for a few minutes?

The top of the sculpture in the picture above. What an intricate piece.

We come into contact with so many people on a daily basis, whether or not we even speak to them. Body language can matter as much as words do. We should be more purposeful about the way we sit, the way we look at others, even the way we smile or frown. You never know who is feeding off of your energy or listening to your conversation or improving their day by your smile.

I challenge all of you, dear readers. If you have only one goal the rest of this week, it should be to be honest about how you are feeling and what you are experiencing. Otherwise, you never get past the surface level. Why would you want to stay there?

Lucky Strike of the Day: I had an amazing brunch at Urban Angel with a few friends this morning, and it made my entire day brighter.