The hardest thing for me to do, yet the thing I believe I am best at, is listening to people. I love just listening to people's stories. I was walking downtown the other day and saw a homeless man and was so drawn to just go and start talking to him and listen to his story. As the logical side of my brain kicked in and said, "That may not be very safe," I never went and talked to him. But how often do we really sit down and listen to what people are saying? Do we really hear them, or do we just listen?
I've realized with graduation coming up, that I haven't listened to what a lot of people told me in high school. Obviously there are no regrets, but it makes me wonder what would have happened if I really got to know all of my classmates' stories. If I took the time to actually hear what they have been saying to me the past four years, spoken or unspoken. And I think the unspoken words are the ones with the most meaning. We all, me included, have so much going on inside our heads that sometimes the things we feel mean the most to us are the words we don't speak. So my challenge to you today, and everyday, is to listen to the unspoken word. And I am going to do the same. Don't just listen to people, hear what they are saying. Next time you are downtown, don't pass by the homeless man like I did. Utter a, "Hello" or a "I hope you are having a good day." If you are really daring, ask about his story. You might be surprised as to what lessons you can learn.
Smell a rose, donate something, and always,
stay.beautiful
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