As I have grown through this wonderful life, I have learned a few things about myself. It is easy to learn to dislike things and even people. One thing I have constantly been wrong about is the “why” I choose to dislike. Usually because it was different from what I was used to or wasn’t convenient. So I had to find a better way. I did not want to fill my life up with “dislike”. I wanted to find a way to mentally deal with whoever was causing me grief. So what I started doing was treating the world as a movie and I was an actor in it but did not know the plot line yet. I find its easy to get along with people that are nice and it’s easy to talk to interesting people. Alternatively, people who are grumpy or uninterested in being “peoply” were a challenge. I mean how do you chat nicely with somebody who hates you just because. Some people just want to be left the hell alone, right? We cannot just write them off; they must be included, liked and loved regardless of how much “dislike” they create. I mean at the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want, to be liked and loved. So I began asking people “What’s your story?” and that was the break thru. Once people realized I genuinely wanted to hear their story, they were happy to tell me. Honestly, I love stories and to hear them from all walks of life was just feeding my inner movie director. These people would become characters in my movie. I would give them a spotlight to shine and inevitably, they would tell a tale that was equally as amazing as the last person. I loved imagining the scene as they spoke. Some people would take on the hero role as they would tell stories of perseverance and overcoming adversity. Some would become the comedian with tales of funny scenarios and some would become the villain with dark experiences fueling their hate and creating a very “dislike” situation. However, the story, the root of the experience was fascinating to me. Once I learned that everybody had a story, it was my journey to hear as many as possible.
Therefore, if you are looking for a conversation starter or whatever “peoply” thing you need to do, consider asking, “What’s your story?” I think you will be amazed at what you will hear. Grab some popcorn and enjoy the movie.