Planting Seeds of Connection

Driving home during rush hour, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of thoughts. 

“Traffic is so bad…”

“What’s for dinner…” 

“I shouldn’t have said that during the staff meeting…”

“Why are there no good songs on the radio!?” 

We may be all wrapped up in our own worlds, but if we pull ourselves away from our thoughts for just a moment, we may observe that in the here and now, we are all in the same boat, in the same ocean of traffic. And in this ocean, we are surrounded by a lot of people who feel the same as we do… Tired after a long day, eager to get home, with hopes for a delicious meal and a better tomorrow. 

When we turn on the news or scroll through our phones, it’s easy to see an endless stream of topics that divide us - it seems that everything is up for debate and everyone wants to be the winner. It’s as if we can only hold a conversation with people who hold the same ideas and beliefs as us, which makes it increasingly challenging to connect with others. We may feel apprehensive or reluctant to even share our own opinions or openly engage in meaningful conversations. 

Amidst a landscape of disagreements, we may overlook how much we have in common. But we’d like to offer a gentle reminder that even in this deeply divided world, there are still many things that can bring us together. And we can start with something small and simple. 

Perhaps with a colleague that we’ve never had a conversation with outside of the conference room, we can strike a conversation one morning and say, “Traffic was terrible on the way here, wasn’t it?” It’s not the most delightful topic, but in that moment, a commiserating nod and a sigh of agreement could add warmth and comfort to our day – that feeling that we’re not alone in this experience. And while it’s a simple interaction, it could plant the seed of connection – and perhaps later on, compassion for one another if or when we uncover that we don’t necessarily share the same views about other matters, work-related or otherwise. 

Sometimes, we may look at a person and based on surface level information, think that “We have nothing in common,” or, “We’ll never be on the same page.” But what if we flipped that thought? Instead of assuming differences, what if we looked for common ground?

Imagine catching someone at a local coffee shop and thinking, “Hey, looks like we both love our morning brew from here!” Or maybe leaving a meeting and thinking, “I bet we’re all thinking that meeting ran way too long!” And in these moments of goodwill, we may find ourselves offering a gentle smile of acknowledgement or even striking a brief conversation.

More often than not, there’s common ground to be found. And in that common ground is where we plant seeds of connection. And if we nourish those seeds, one day, they may just blossom into kindness and compassion for one another. 

At Equinimity, we are always on a mission to cultivate connection – with one another, with our herd, with nature… From coming together to learn and collaborate at our Equinimity University classes to heartfelt gatherings such as Communi-tea and Mindful Grooming, we always hope that these shared experiences will serve as kind examples that while we come from different walks of life and are wonderfully different and unique from one another, there is always something that unites us. 

In a world that often feels divided, these small moments of connection matter more than ever. The truth is, we don’t have to agree on everything to treat each other with kindness. But if we start by acknowledging the little things we do have in common, we create space for understanding, empathy, and even friendship. And in a time when so much seems to pull us apart, these seeds of connection may be exactly what we need to bring us back together.