Along with being mindful of beauty and creation, do we take the time to notice those around us in their daily distress and need? I’m not just talking about the beggar or the hungry orphan. I’m talking about the everyday “Mr. Jones.” “Mr. Jones” is too battling his daily demons. He too his scared, vulnerable and at times in severe emotional stress despite the mask he wears of perfection.
Plato said it best: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” It’s so easy, however, to put aside the needs of others and withhold our kind deeds as we continue on in our own hastiness throughout the daily race of life. We easily become married to the frantic go-go-go lifestyle of survival and affluence, only to neglect those who may be strategically placed on our paths or those who are within our reach.
Once we notice the need, we need to be determined to act on that need. It’s real easy to feel so
rry for someone when they’ve been knocked down. It’s another thing to use your power and effort to help lift them off the ground. Be there for others. Truly be there. “The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers”. –Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh.
What does Thich Nhat Hanh mean when he says ‘offer others our presence?’ I would imagine it would mean to be
truly in the moment—truly involved in enjoying another’s presence—truly mindful of their needs. Moreover, become liberated from our own self-wants and the restrictions of time. Be there solely for others and be on their time. Only then, Nhat Hanh teaches, will we be able to witness their potential and self-worth “bloom like flowers.”
Life is all about relationships. Build others up, and you too will bloom.
