How Talking to Strangers Saved my Well-being

Parents and guardians strongly advise their young ones not to talk to strangers. It is even treated more like a law than advice. Which then would, later on, lead to uncoerced isolation, having an idea that it is unlikely to talk to strangers and that reaching out to someone unfamiliar is just…awkward. However, that should not be the case when children grow up because surprisingly, talking to strangers is important and beneficial.

“Strangers are the best people to talk to. They don’t judge.”

Looking back to my old self, I used to have a totally different perception of socializing. It was totally burdensome for me to even say “hi” and I got easily offended whenever someone would just suddenly approach me.

In my college days, I was not a popular student and felt invisible to everyone. In my elementary years, I always received the “Most well behaved student of the year” award. 😂 That’s how SILENT I was.

So I had this belief system in me that there was only a little good in meeting new people or even saying “hello” back to someone who just said “hi” because what if they would judge me?

Little did I know that this belief system was slowly damaging my wellbeing. I could not speak in front of my son’s new teacher, even though I needed to raise my concern. I could not commit to a job interview because I was so afraid to meet the interviewer. I easily get stressed out. My mind and body were both tired and I wanted to feel sick, even though I was not. I felt isolated and left behind.

“Good things come in small packages.”

Not until eight years ago when I started my job as an online ESL Tutor. It was a low-paying job and yet it has changed my judgment of unfamiliar people. Talking to a different person after every twenty-five minutes every day has made drastic changes in me. I started to become cheerful.

In my nature of work, I get to meet new or first-time students every day. Of course, I also have my regular students but I have to deal with facing an entirely unfamiliar person every day, which before was a daunting task for me. But since I have to get their attention so that they will “like” me or my teaching style, I must not look uncomfortable. Though it can really be uncomfortable at times.

A New Perspective

These students are from different walks of life. Businessmen, pensioners, musicians, housewives, university students, and many others. My oldest student was a 91-year-old who used to be a Piano instructor. You see, these people are total strangers to me but they have so much to offer, which I find beneficial to talk more of them. My horizons were broadened to the extent that I learned how people were in World War II, what it feels like to be a Japanese plain housewife, how they struggled a lot too emotionally and mentally, what it feels like in winter (because I live in the tropics), their interesting traditions and cultures, how they run their businesses, how they spend their pensions, how excellent their healthcare is, and many more! In short, I got a chance to look at things I have never seen before, to give a new way of seeing particular situations that I have never considered before.

My Network expanded

Because of having a changed perception towards life as a result of talking to unfamiliar people, my socializing skills have improved as well. In fact, it has opened up job opportunities and I have become visible to society for the first time in my whole life. I got an office job as a Recruitment Specialist and later on became the Recruitment Manager. If the only people I ever talk to were my husband, kids, and family, I would never have built my network.

Better Communication Skills

Working as a Recruitment Specialist allowed me to communicate and interact with different people. I got to interview different candidates, which again, are total strangers to me, without them knowing that I, too, was savoring the opportunity to practice and improve my communication skill by interviewing them.

Wrapping Up

My entire well-being was improved by talking to a stranger a few minutes a day.

Not all strangers have bad intentions. In fact, our friends started out as strangers, right? We started out as strangers to them too. Meeting new people and reaching out to strangers provide opportunities, gain a new perspective, and chance to help and be helped.

We may never know, we could save someone from his/her misery by just smiling at them genuinely. It’s a good start.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my Story.

I will read yours too.