My boss and I walked down the hallway of our building.

"Hi, John." I said to a passing gentleman. "Hey, Susan!" I called to a woman headed to the water cooler. "Jeff? What's shakin'?" I asked another.

My boss looked at me, "I've been here longer than you, and yet you know everyone. How do you do that?"

I didn't answer right away. He made me realize, I did know almost everyone who worked on the four floors our company occupied in the building.

It is like that at all the companies I have worked for. It continues at the new company I work for today.

I knew the security guards that monitored our safety. I knew the cleaners, the maintenance men, the bosses, and the workers.

I knew them all. Hundreds of people I could call "my friends."

Outside the office, wherever I lived, I knew all the neighbors.

It's that simple...just look 'em in the eye and say 'Hi!'

I knew the grocery clerks and the guy who takes the carts from the parking lot. I know the postman and the guy behind the counter at the 7/11 down the street

"It's simple." I finally answered.

"I look them in the eye and say 'Hi!' That's all it takes. I see them in the hall and I say, 'Hi! How are you?' Soon they recognize me and will say 'Hi!' or "Good Morning!' to me first.

"After three or four 'Hello's' I stop and stick out my hand....

"'Hi! My name is Mike. I work in the project management group.' They take my hand, tell me their name and what their position in the company is.'

"It's that easy," I concluded. "Just look 'em in the eye and say "Hi!"

I do it on the street, when I catch someone's eye. I do it in the elevator, I'll catch their eye, say 'Hi!" and start a conversation. It's amazing what you can learn about people and their lives.

All around are people plodding through life, looking straight ahead and not seeing the people around them

All around me are people who go through life, plodding along, looking straight ahead and not seeing the people around them. Perhaps they are distrustful or lost in their own thoughts, but just imagine what it would be like if everyone took a few minutes to look 'em in the eye and said "Hi!"

I realize, if everyone on a busy street was saying "Hi!" to each other, it would be kind of silly and pointless. Just take a few minutes to select a couple of people a day, someone whose eyes you meet, and say, "Good Morning!" or "Hi!"

It could make the difference between them having a good day or a bad day.

By sharing my stories with you, I am doing the same thing. I share my life with you.

Many of you mail me back, and I learn about you too. The Internet allows me to say "Hi!" around the world. It's a wonderful thing.

So remember, just look 'em in the eye and say, "Hi!"

Michael T. Smith lives in Fort Lee, New Jersey, USA with his wife and children. He works full time in telecommunications and writes as a hobby. Michael is working on a collection of inspirational and motivational to be called From My Heart to Yours. You can contact Michael at mtsmith@qwestonline.com. Visit him at his blog or read more of his stories here.

Some Related Articles:

We Are All Literally Two-Faced
Ten Top Icebreakers for Holiday Mingling
Using Body Position to Defuse Angry People
Nonverbal Signals During Conversation
The Underrated Power of Eye Contact
Make a Connection: Seven Secrets to Great Handshakes
How Do You Treat The Waiter?
Heeeeeere's JOHNNY!: Applying the 'Carson Principle'
Can You Become More Likeable?