How not to be rude to sentient beings

​Would you walk into a room full of people and ignore them?

Not make eye contact?

Not introduce yourself?

Just pretend sentient beings are not occupying the same space as you?

My guess is no, you would not do that. 

If you have social anxiety like me, it may be challenging and awkward, but you'd still acknowledge the presence of others. Yes in part because it would be rude and even moreuncomfortable to not say something.

But also because humans are wired to connect- and not just with other humans. With any ensouled being like the Earth herself. 

When I travel, the first thing I do is greet the soul of that place and the beings who live there. 

Without doing this, I feel disoriented and untethered. 

Without this process, I feel foreign. 

But when I take a few moments to introduce myself, offer gratitude, and get to know the space, I feel grounded, connected, and comforted. 

So the next time you're in a new place, take a nice deep breath, put on your sweetest smile, and muster the courage to say "hello, thanks for having me. My name is..."

No matter how awkward it feels.