Tue. July 17, 2007
By Bill Pritchard
When I start the process of writing this article I ask one simple question; "what's on my heart to share?" I've given much thought as of late to a pet peeve of mine; the issue of being considerate of others! Funny enough I've been hit (literally) with the dilemma of people not taking others (their lives, situations, feelings, etc,) into thought. One would think that this is part of who we are as humans. I beg to differ! I have the opinion that it's time for a tune up in this area!
I guess I was raised to believe that others were to come before me. When I was a kid, my God-fearing Mother always used to say, "Jesus, Others, and Yourself!" as a reference to the true nature of joy! Through her faith she knew then what I hope we will all embrace today; the needs and feelings of others are truly important for us to acknowledge and place priority on!
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but consider others better than you! So many times I have a personal agenda or goal in mind that clouds my vision of others. Where I think it is really important to have those missions in our lives, I would encourage us to never have them at the expense of others. I get so preoccupied with what's important to me that I don't fully think of others feelings, desires, or goals. This selfish attitude will get us nowhere. Perhaps it is wise to always have the question "How will this effect others? " in our minds.
Get rid of the "I" and replace it with "We" I think this is a matter of choice. It is really natural for me to look out for number one. Me! I try on a daily basis to change that natural thinking with the idea of looking out for others. (Note: This is not advice to place your needs and issues aside. We should deal with those as well. I am talking about balance here.) Here are some examples:
-Letting someone else have the seat on the train.
-Holding the door for a person to go before you.
-Helping someone when they clearly need some assistance.
-Moving out of someone's way.
-When someone drops something, helping them pick it up.
-Being honest if someone over pays you.
-Not talking on the phone on the train.
-Smiling.
-Moving out of someone's way.
-Bringing in afternoon treats to your co-workers for no other reason than just because!
Just the other day I was listening to someone complain about their work environment and how it seemed that everyone was only looking out for themselves. I shared with them the I/We suggestion and they looked at me like I was crazy. Could it be that we as a society have lost this team approach? Whether you give a helping hand to the latte lady or your little sister, or share the burden with your best friend or bartender; it's an opportunity to make a little difference in someone's life!
CHALLENGE: I would like to encourage you to pause as you go about your day and identify the "little things" that people do that are inconsiderate. Notice how it makes people feel and see how they react. Then, take the extra moment to Consider others in your path. Make a game of how many you can encourage. Help someone out at the gym; talk with someone standing by themselves at the club; let someone cut in front of you in line. (I know that's a biggie!) Some would call this going out of your way or above and beyond; I call it Making A Difference!
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