Today I find myself reflecting on an encounter during my first day of class studying abroad. Although my classes were in English, I naively wanted to practice French with my classmates. When one of them said “ça va”, I excitedly replied with “très bien, merci, et toi?” To my surprise, he chuckled. I quickly learned that while “ça va” does translates to “how are you” it's often used more casually as a greeting rather than an actual question, much like how we say “hey, how are ya” in Australia without really expecting an in-depth response. This R U OK? Day, let’s move beyond these casual exchanges. Let’s pause and genuinely ask someone, "How are you? Are you okay?" and take the time to listen to their response. Building meaningful connections and truly caring about others should be part of our daily interactions, not just a routine greeting or on one particular day each year. Let’s use today to start a habit of genuinely asking how are you, checking in and supporting each other, because just one conversation can have a positive impact.
Well said, Chloe. And a great initiative.❤️
People Director leading HR strategies at Inchcape Australasia
6moThanks for sharing Chloe, as a colleague you are always there to listen