There are moments in life when we realize just how easily we pass each other by.
A barista hands us coffee with a polite smile. A neighbor waves from across the street. A stranger walks past us on the sidewalk. And in these fleeting exchanges, we move on—rarely pausing to acknowledge the depth of the person in front of us. They are “other,” and we are caught up in the swirl of our own minds, our to-do lists, our screens.
But what if we stopped—just for a moment—and looked again?
In a world saturated with curated feeds and fractured attention spans, the simple act of seeing someone has become a radical gesture. This is where mindfulness can help us rebuild what we’ve lost—not just with ourselves, but with each other.
Rediscovering Common Humanity
One of the most powerful mindfulness practices is deceptively simple. It asks you to imagine another person—first someone you love, then someone neutral, and finally someone you find difficult or who feels very different from you—and recognize one truth: Just like me, this person wants to be happy. Just like me, this person wants to avoid suffering.
This practice, often referred to as “Just Like Me,” comes from contemplative traditions and has been adapted by mindfulness teachers across the world, including Steven Hickman and Thupten Jinpa. At its core, it asks us to lay down our judgments and pick up compassion.
It’s not about condoning harmful behavior or bypassing difference. It’s about choosing to see beyond the surface and meet each other in the tender space of shared longing—the longing to be loved, understood, safe, and free.
From Concept to Felt Experience
When I first tried this practice, I expected it to feel nice, maybe even noble. What I didn’t expect was the rush of emotion when I pictured someone I was quietly holding resentment toward and thought: Just like me, they’ve known heartbreak.
The moment was disarming.
I realized how often I had been relating to the idea of the person—their job, their social stance, their demeanor—rather than the reality of their lived human experience. And in doing so, I had kept myself at a safe distance.
But connection requires risk. It asks us to soften our armor. To make room.
Practicing “Just Like Me” is not about becoming a better person. It’s about becoming a more honest one. It’s not a shortcut to healing, but a slow, courageous invitation to live in alignment with our values.
Why This Matters Now
We are living in an age of extraordinary disconnection. Loneliness is soaring, polarization is rising, and digital life has created the illusion of closeness while quietly dulling our capacity for presence.
Mindfulness, in this context, is more than a self-care technique. It is a social act.
When we meet another’s gaze with openness, we are building a world that resists dehumanization. When we recognize someone’s pain without needing to fix it, we are building emotional literacy. And when we sit with someone’s difference while holding compassion, we are planting seeds for peace.
A Practice to Try
If you’re curious, try this:
- Sit quietly. Take a few breaths to settle into your body.
- Picture someone who brings you joy. Imagine what they long for, what they struggle with, what lights them up.
- Silently repeat: Just like me, they want to be happy. Just like me, they want to be loved.
- Picture someone you see regularly but don’t know well. Repeat the same phrases.
- Finally, picture someone you find difficult. Sit with that image. Repeat the phrases, even if part of you resists.
This practice is not about forcing compassion. It’s about making space for it to arise naturally. Some days, it might not. That’s okay. The intention itself is a gesture of connection.
Where Mindfulness Meets Community
At Mindful, we believe that mindfulness isn’t just about quiet moments on a cushion. It’s about how we live. How we work, rest, relate, and repair.
That’s why we created our new online community—to bring people together who are seeking not perfection, but presence. Inside our platform, you’ll find:
- A welcoming community corner to share and reflect
- Our signature 7-Day Mindfulness Challenge to help you build meaningful habits
- Ongoing discussions, resources, and support from others walking the mindful path
- Access to guided meditations and our growing Foundations and Growth libraries
You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need a place to begin again.
🔗 **Join the Mindful Community today at **being-mindful.mn.co
Let this be the year you not only deepen your relationship with yourself—but with the world around you. One breath, one moment, one connection at a time.