Recently, while sitting in a therapist’s office, he said something that stopped me in my tracks. He looked at me and said, “You don’t even have to say anything — I can see it in your eyes.”

How could he tell? What could he see? He’s spent years in his line of work and knows how to read people, but it made me wonder how much we might be able to tell about each other if we just slowed down long enough to really look.

We move so quickly through our days — rushing from one thing to the next — that we rarely stop to notice the people around us. Most of us are caught up in our own to-do lists, our own plans, our own thoughts. But every once in a while, someone really sees us… and it feels different. Sure, I was paying him to “see” me but it still felt good.

On Sunday, I went to the grocery store and struck up a conversation with the man checking me out. I asked him how his day was going — not out of habit, but because I genuinely wanted to know. He paused before answering, almost as if he was trying to decide if I meant it or if I was just another person going through the motions. I meant it. And I could tell he felt that.

That small exchange stuck with me.

As we move into the last few months of the year — a time when life speeds up even more — I can’t help but wonder what a difference it would make if we all slowed down just enough to really see the people in front of us. To notice what their eyes might be saying. To let them feel seen.

Because sometimes, being seen is all someone really needs.

And that’s true in business and in life. Whether it’s a client, a friend, or a stranger in line at the store — people don’t just want to be heard, they want to be seen. When we slow down enough to really connect, that’s where trust, kindness, and meaningful relationships grow.

Here’s to slowing down, looking up, and truly seeing the people around us.

XX,

MG