Every now and then I host a Tea With Strangers. The idea is simple: have a small group of total strangers come together for two hours to talk about anything. There is no agenda, goal, or strings attached.
All you do is have a genuine conversation.
You learn about the most influential moments in a person’s life, hear stories of sheer courage and perseverance, and ask questions you wouldn’t ask even your closest friends.
In the process, you learn about yourself, of others, and most importantly: what it means to be human.
It’s raw. It’s vulnerable, and it’s beautifully unique every time.
After a while, you realize despite all the different backgrounds and interests of people, we all aspire for the same things:
A sense of greater purpose. Alignment of our lives with our values. Feeling appreciated and loved. And creating meaningful connections with others.
Before you know it, it’s been an entire afternoon, and the people you’re sitting with are no longer strangers.
We part ways, and there’s no telling of whether or not we’ll ever cross paths again. And that’s okay, because we walk away remembering that moment of serendipity we created and shared together.
We also realize that maybe, just maybe, living life with a little curiosity and empathy towards others is the secret to staying young at heart forever.