I have spent this past weekend trying to pay attention to and notice different things about myself. How I walk, the gestures I make with my hands, and small habits I have. Things that I otherwise do unconsciously. I noticed that I tend to walk slowly (when not in a hurry) and gaze all around me. I stand up straight and rarely look at the ground or my feet when I walk. When either alone or with friends I have noticed that I don't like to keep my hands still. I often twirl my earrings, run my fingers through my hair, tap and click a pen or pencil consistently, or doodle. I often gesticulate when I talk to people, be it a presentation or me telling a story to friends. There are lots of little things I do, which means that there are tons that other people do as well.
Noticing the small nuances that I do has helped me pick up on what other people do. And the more observant of these things in others, the more conscientious you can be about how to appopriately approach and maintain conversations with strangers. If you can read the body language of people (because body language can tell you tons) then you can respond in such a way that will aid you in obtaining the results you desire. Body language can tell you so much about what a person is thinking or feeling (be it conscious or not), from the way they look at you to how they sit in a chair. For example, a person not making eye contact you or fidgeting terribly is probably no longer engaged in conversation. Understanding body language and being concious of these things can help when I go to a new culture, Tonga.
As I recognize the things people here at BYU do, it makes me excited to learn and grow from the gestures and customs of the people of Tonga. And now that I am more concsious of what I do and how I act, I can (hopefully) better integrate myself into their community and culture.
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