Although the spoken word is our most common way of connecting, it's also possible to get lost in words or to hide behind them. Eye contact, by contrast, is immediate. It can cut through all our defenses and bring us heart to heart. And it can quickly reveal any personal or interpersonal issues that might be in the way.
The Practice:
For one whole day, make direct eye contact with every individual who crosses your path. Allow the gaze to last at least a full second. Include people you know as well as those you don't. If someone won't meet your gaze, just smile and move on. With each gaze, simply acknowledge and appreciate the humanity shared by you and the other person. Notice what happens in each encounter. How does it make you feel? How does it change what transpires?
— Raphael Cushnir in How Now