Reach Out

I was far, sitting on the edge of a giant rock, away from the land, where humans foot prints don't tread easily. A world, where nature's beauty is in abundance and human existence is rare.  I saw a bunch of kids playing along, with their dog, the sight was very endearing, yet, a pattern caught my attention, after every playful move the dog made, he would look up to its owner,  as if, he wanted to ensure, he was being watched. Yes, dogs love the attention !
 I could hear the dog bark , every few seconds and also hear the kid shout Yayy, more like an acknowledgement to the pet. The sight was amusing.

As I was relaxing, I happened to notice, my friend had posted his picture on a social media site and said, "Let's see who all like/notice my post", his need for validation from the world outside was very important to him and in someways motivating him to click and share more. It was the dopamine effect from others appreciating his post or talking to him right away regarding his whereabouts.

We all live in a similar world of validation, where we constantly look forward to hear from the near and dear ones about how they are doing and also discuss about how we are doing. Even though we would be personally doing great in life without any hassle , but the word of encouragement /acknowledgement from the closed ones, is all that we earn for, to live the journey of life.

Social media has become an easy access to interact with the outside world and also has made us dependent to it, as we are not able to withdraw ourselves from the this web. Constant posts/tweet/pictures of us trying to communicate with the world, which is more virtual and very less real.

It is often said that, "Start your day with a compliment to the first person you meet today". This could have compounding effect in the universe, as one happy soul has enough happiness within them to make another soul happy.  The act of reaching out for validation / acknowledging is one the most beautiful things in life. It opens up the possibly of communication, thereby bonding people over it. It could be you, complimenting someone who made your breakfast this morning or thanking someone for the holding the lift, as they find you rushing in the lobby. The positive aspect of appreciating anyone for something they involuntarily did, keeps their spirits high and and also gives them a sign of what a good soul he /she is and especially why they should continue to perform this random act of kindness. They not only earn brownie points in your book, but also inspire others to lead a prosperous and happy life.

As the saying goes,
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."