The Power Of Being Seen

Feeling seen is one of our deepest human needs. In this track, therapist and musician Cory Reese shares a heartfelt meditation on how small acts of connection - eye contact, a kind word, a simple smile - can profoundly impact others. This is an invitation to slow down, open your heart, and rediscover how meaningful it can be to truly notice the people around you.

Transcript

I want to give a shout out to the Difference Makers. Someone who made a difference in my life was this incredible woman named Rohini. I met Rohini at a training that I attended as a therapist where we were learning more about ketamine-assisted therapy. And I could tell pretty quickly that Rohini was not like most people in the very best way. I only had a few brief interactions with her, But when we talked, She had this eye contact that just pierced through me like she was looking right through me. And she just kind of radiated kindness and compassion. You know people who are like that? I was trying to figure out what was it that made her so unique. And I think it was the fact that whoever she was with, Whoever she was talking to, It felt like she really went out of her way to help that person feel seen and important. Like they mattered. It really made an impact on me and I left that training thinking, I want to be like her. I need a WWRD bracelet. What would Rohini do? I wanted to show up like that in my life and in my interactions with people. So I wrote a song that I wanted to share with her. I wrote it for her actually because she made such a powerful impact on my life and influenced the way that I want to show up. After the song was written, I flew to Colorado to meet up with her. And I played her this song and at the time I didn't know what I was going to call it. When she got to the end of the song, I could see that she was crying and she said, Wow, That took me into the infinite. And I thought, Well, Thank you, Rohini. I now have a title for this song. So here it is, Into the Infinite. Something I really admire about my wife is that she's a difference maker too. She really goes out of her way to help people feel noticed and important. One example that sticks out to me was when we went to the store one day and she told the cashier that she liked her makeup. And the cashier started crying. I was thinking, Okay, What's going on here? The cashier proceeded to tell us that she had been struggling with her mental health for a few months and just didn't feel good about the person that she saw in the mirror. And so she decided, If there's any chance of me starting to feel better, I need to start taking better care of myself. And so that day she decided, I'm going to put on some makeup this morning before I go to work. So the comment that my wife made to her was especially impactful. I've been thinking a lot about this and I think it's something all of us can do. It doesn't have to be anything major. Just going out of our way to help people feel seen and valued and important like they matter. I think we probably don't even know the depth of how much that means to people. Just a small comment or a smile. It goes a long ways. Let me issue you a challenge. And admittedly, At the same time, I'm offering this same challenge to myself. Just for today, Look for one opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and say that nice thing to a stranger that comes into your head but you normally don't say. And just see what happens. We have the ability to make a difference. For today, Just imagine you've got a WWRD bracelet on. And I will too. Let's try to be like Rohini today. Let's try to be like my wife. There's nothing stopping us from being a difference maker too.