Have you ever caught yourself assuming how someone will act before they've even done anything?
It's a funny habit that we humans have.
We look at someone,
Their age,
Their posture,
Their expression,
And then we automatically fill in the blanks.
Without realizing it,
We build these tiny stories in our heads,
And usually they're based more on our past than on the person in front of us.
So today,
We're gonna sit with that tendency,
And we'll explore what happens when someone surprises us in the best possible way.
So let's take a moment to settle in.
If you're sitting,
Let your shoulders soften.
If you're walking,
Let your pace ease just a little.
And wherever you are,
Let your breath become your anchor.
Inhaling slowly through the nose,
Gently exhaling through the mouth.
And now,
Try to imagine yourself walking along a quiet path.
Maybe it's a familiar one.
Maybe it's part of your daily routine.
You're moving.
Maybe you're thinking.
Maybe you're just zoning out a little.
And up ahead,
You see a young boy,
Maybe 10 or 12,
Riding his bike slowly.
His parents walk behind him in a single file.
And without meaning to,
You make an assumption.
You expect the boy to be in his own world,
To ride right on past you,
Eyes on the ground or focused ahead.
But then,
Something unexpected happens.
He looks up.
He meets your gaze and he says with cheerful clarity,
Good morning.
And just like that,
Your entire perspective shifts.
You smile,
Maybe even without thinking.
His parents smile too.
You see a flicker of pride on their faces or maybe just joy in the moment.
It's a small thing,
But maybe it changes the tone of your whole day.
And that's the power of one human moment.
A small connection that cuts through the fog of assumption.
A reminder that people,
Even young kids on bikes,
Are full of surprise.
Let's take a breath with that thought.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Let yourself land gently in this idea that you never really know how someone might show up.
And that includes strangers.
It includes people that are close to you.
And yeah,
It includes yourself too.
And maybe now is a good time to reflect.
Where in your life do you tend to assume?
Maybe it's a co-worker or a neighbor or a friend.
Maybe it's someone in your own family.
Someone you've figured out a long time ago.
But what would it feel like to loosen that story even just a little?
To go unscripted,
Without expectation of how you assume someone is going to react.
Because sometimes when we assume the worst,
Or even if we just expect neutrality,
Well we block ourselves from receiving goodness,
From being delighted,
Or from being moved.
But when we stay open,
When we stay curious,
Well we make space for connection,
For joy,
And for humanity.
And that's the quiet lesson the boy on the bike offers us.
That a warm greeting doesn't just change someone else's day.
It changes yours too.
That presence matters.
And that we all have the power to surprise,
And to be surprised.
As Walt Whitman reminds us,
Be curious,
Not judgmental.
Curiosity is what allows us to see each other clearly.
Judgment says,
I already know who you are.
But curiosity says,
I wonder who you might be today.
So as you move throughout your day,
See if you can notice when your mind tries to fill in the blanks.
When it says,
Well that person won't say hi to me today.
Or they're probably thinking this.
Or this moment doesn't matter.
Instead,
Pause,
Take a breath,
And see if you can ask,
What if I stayed curious?
Because in the end,
You might just get a smile,
Or a kind word,
Or a small beautiful reminder that people are full of surprises.
So,
Be the one who looks up.
Be the one who says good morning.
And be the one who leaves room for the world to surprise you,
In the best possible way.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
And may you be at peace.
Thank you so much for joining me.
