Life Resumed

Last week, I attended the World’s Biggest Eye Contact Experiment in Dallas. The Dallas event was hosted by the Promote Love Movement. We were participating in a global event with 140 separate locations worldwide. During my time on this planet, I would like to say that I’ve experienced quite a bit but nothing quite like this. To be a part of an event such as this one felt different from anything I’ve ever experienced. The experiment itself and the people in attendance were fantastic and I can’t say that enough.

Not sure what was awaiting me when I arrived, I remained open to the experience. Happy to go alone and with no presumptions. Upon arriving, I was greeted with smiles and welcomes from the Promote Love team. What a perfect opportunity this was for a Comfort Challenge, I thought. Comfort Challenges being my new set of experiments to help me become a better person and experience uniqueness in my life. The rules were to sit across from someone and hold eye contact for 60 seconds. Blinking was allowed, of course, but maintaining the gaze was the important part of the exercise. The rules were loose enough to allow for people to share longer than 60 seconds or without a time limit at all. Doing what felt right for them and allowing them to gain the most from the time spent. Other people held eye contact for as long as they could maintain while, seemingly, smiling ear to ear the whole time. Sharing a minute with someone was absolutely exhilarating. Various people, myself included, decided to hold hands during the eye gazing and it seemed to heighten the experience between the two people involved. Amazing event, amazing people. I want to see each of them again.

Unparalleled intensity is how I could describe the feeling. People I met that night I don’t see myself ever forgetting. From the time spent together, I can even picture each of them in my mind. Call me addicted. I would like to say that on that night, the presence, awareness and love was palpable. Whether or not what we felt was what some people would refer to as “energy” or it was merely emotions from experiencing human connectivity, I don’t know. However, whatever it was, I enjoyed the feeling and it is one that I will continue to chase. Connectivity like this is something to be aware of and promote regardless of where we might be in the world.

Showing up with an open mind and open heart was important to me for this event, so I did exactly that. Everyone was extremely friendly and I felt that, they too, came with these same intentions. This mindset is what I believe contributed to the success of the event and how great each of us felt whilst sharing a minute. Driving home that night, I began to wonder what my life could become if I approached every situation in my life the same way. With an open heart and mind. Ready to embrace and adapt to the things that were happening around me. It could be said that this is the basis of surviving but I think that it’s far more than that. Adaptability and openness is not merely the key to survive but it is important in order to thrive.

I want to say thank you to the Promote Love team for this experience. Check them out over at www.promotelovemovement.com.