How are you... How am I?

Do you say to people “How are you”?

Do you really mean it? I mean, do you really care about how they are? What they are feeling? How their life is going? When you ask, do you have the time to stop and listen to the answer?

On the other side of the coin, have you ever answered someone honestly when they’ve asked “How are you?”

I have a friend. (Yes I do, don’t laugh) our conversations regularly start like this.

‘How are you’

‘Fine’

‘How are you really’

I try and say “Good morning” or “Hiya, nice to see you”... and if I ask ‘How are you’ ... I try and mean it.

You know, you don’t have to be scared....

if someone answers you honestly and it’s sad then say “I don’t know what to say, but I’m sad for you”.
If someone answers you honestly and it’s happy, then say, “I don’t know what to say but I’m happy for you”.

So next time you ask someone how they are... think first... do you really want to ask? It’s ok if you don’t!

And you – you constantly wearing that fake smile and saying ‘Fine thanks!’ ... why don’t you consider trusting one person to hear your honest answer?