We are so conditioned to judge ourselves and others by the way we look. This song asks you to look deeper into other people and yourself and focus on what is on the inside because that is where you’ll find the real beauty.
These are Sian Cross’ words and what her song Stare At Me is all about – looking deeper. In these days where we have such great knowledge and technological advancement, it is surprising how much social grace we still need to learn. It runs deeper than just the color of our skin. Judgement upon initial glance is embedded into our habits. Even if you believe yourself to be non-biased, you still are biased. It is an intrinsic human nature. When we look at someone we immediately decide if they are wealthy or poor, witty or solemn, intelligent or dumb, sinful or deserving. Hundreds of judgements permeate our perceptions within an instant of simply looking at someone. How do we wipe this out of our cells? How do we look at someone with a blank slate and wait for THEM to fill it up with a picture of themselves instead of assuming they are like someone else previously written into our past – or the news? How do we look at another who is flawed and blemished and see their beauty instead of their scars? How do we look deeper than the impermanent skin our souls embody? We at VoiceSign do not have the answers to these questions. We do, however, believe in voice. Everybody deserves to speak and to be heard. Communication is a right, not a privilege. Big or little, rich or poor, black, white, or purple, verbal or not, every voice is worthy of expression, and perhaps if we find opportunities to listen with our hearts, we will be on the path to more luminous and neighborly connections. Who will you hear today? Will you remember to look deeper?
Mind Travelers is a community blogging project. We publish articles about creative subjects such as art, social issues, positivity and philosophy. We are located in Montrose, Colorado and work with contributors all over the Western Slope. For more information, to submit a story or to advertise with us, please email us at info@mindtravelers.org.