Watch what happens when someone you care about enters the room. It is easy to offer half a greeting while continuing to type, scroll, cook, or solve whatever problem already had your attention. We say hello, but our body says, “Please wait behind everything else.”
The first two minutes do not require a speech or a grand performance. Put the phone down. Look up. Let the person arrive. Ask one real question and listen to the answer. That small welcome can change the atmosphere of the next hour.
Attention is one of the clearest ways we tell people they matter. It is also easy to postpone because we assume there will be plenty of time later. Perhaps there will be. Still, giving someone the first moments instead of the leftovers is a simple kind of generosity. It costs very little, but it rarely feels small to the person receiving it.
Today’s Prompt
Who can you welcome with your full attention for the first two minutes?
