It was late at night, I was scrolling through my LinkedIn feed, as Kelly Merbler’s post caught my eye.
1 minute ... 5 minutes ... 10 minutes later, I was still sitting there, eyes glued to my computer screen, reading her post over and over again.
In particular, re-reading one of the last sentences, “Everyone we meet knows something we don’t.”
I thought, “This is so true! We all have value to add to each other regardless of our circumstances.”
I then immediately thought of a time I shared with a homeless man on my trip to San Diego last year.
“Every little bit helps.” a sign a man was holding in the middle of the street.
As I passed him, I thought to myself, “How many people actually stop and talk to him?”
Sure, he may not be “properly” dressed, ripped jeans and in need of a warm shower.
I thought, “Regardless of his appearance, he’s still a human being.”
Instead of going to my initial destination prior to my interview with NBC, I chose to stop by the closest restaurant to buy (2) sandwiches.
As I walked out of the restaurant, I saw that the homeless man was no longer standing in the same place.
He was making his way up the street.
“Sir, sir,” I screamed across the street.
As I caught up to him, I asked, “Would you like to share a meal with me?”
“Yes,” he responded.
We sat together, on the curb, cars passing on both sides of us, sharing memories from our past and a laugh or two.
I realized something in that short time we spent together on the curb.
Perception is everything.
I chose to look at him as another human, wanting to be seen, to be heard and to be supported.
I did not have any preconceived expectations about him. I simply chose to SEE him.
I created a space where he could experience being seen, heard and supported. I believe most of us want this in life.
I asked him, “How many people stop and talk to you?”
His response, “none.”
Tears fell from my eyes, as in that word “none” I knew that people’s perceptions had won their view.
What this moment and so many others made me realize is the importance of creating a place for others to be accepted, seen and valued.
We’re all at different phases of our lives and in our growth.
None of us are better than the other.
As Kelly initially wrote, “Everyone we meet knows something we don’t.”
Let us all be open to learning from others, to accept others and to create spaces for others to be understood.
If you enjoyed this, please share your thoughts by commenting below or joining us on one of our weekly, “Courageous Conversations” virtual meetup gatherings.
Oleg Lougheed is the host of the Overcoming Odds Podcast, where you get a glimpse into the stories of individuals who have overcome adversity, suffering, and struggle in achieving their personal success.
