Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this idea of “languages of shared experiences,” and I wanted to jot down how I actually went about exploring it. It’s kinda like, how do you connect with people on a deeper level, even if you don’t speak the same mother tongue? I started by just thinking about my own life.
My Brainstorming Phase
I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen (yeah, I’m old school like that sometimes) and started listing out experiences I’ve had that felt really… universal. Like, things almost everyone can relate to. My list had stuff like:
- The joy of eating really good food. I mean, who doesn’t love that?
- The frustration of waiting in a long line. We’ve all been there, tapping our feet impatiently.
- The feeling of accomplishment after finishing a tough workout. That muscle ache? It’s a badge of honor!
- Getting lost in a good book or movie. Pure escapism.
- The pain feel so sad.
Putting it to the Test (Sort Of)
I didn’t go out and conduct some formal experiment or anything. But I started paying more attention to how I interacted with people, especially those from different backgrounds. For example, I went to this street food market a few weeks ago. I don’t speak much Spanish, but I ordered some tacos from this one vendor. I made sure to smile, make eye contact, and give a big thumbs up after I took the first bite. He grinned back, and we had this little moment of shared appreciation, even though we didn’t exchange many words.
Another try
I did an another way!
I was going to give up something, but I met a person online who also wanted to give up, so I communicated with him and encouraged each other, and finally we both completed a difficult thing together, and we both felt very fulfilled in it!
My Takeaways (So Far)
It is a thing very fulfilled. I’ve realized that it’s not always about the words you use. It’s about:
- Being present: Really paying attention to the other person and the shared moment.
- Using non-verbal cues: Smiles, gestures, body language – they speak volumes.
- Finding common ground: Tapping into those universal human experiences.
- Empathy: Trying to see things from the other person’s perspective.
It’s a simple thing, but I was able to do something and have a very fulfilling experience, which is great!
This is all still a work in progress for me. It’s not like I’ve cracked some secret code to human connection. But it’s been a fun and interesting thing to explore, and it’s definitely made me more mindful of how I interact with the world.
