How many times have we made decisions by judging someone by what they’re wearing, their skin color, their group affiliation, their age, their sexual orientation, and even by judging their behavior to be different than ours?
How different do you think your life would be if you could but for an instant see how others see or feel like others feel?
By practicing humility and tolerance and setting aside all judgment we can begin to break through and expand our experience and love for humanity.
To put this into perspective I will share the story of: “Know The Cleaning Lady”
While attending the second month of college, a professor gave the students a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?”
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, another student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
“Absolutely,” said the professor. “In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say “hello.”
I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
video: if we could see inside others hearts.
Daisy Says: All the sadness and all the pain can be tethered with a bit of empathy.
