Self Awareness
Could COVID-19 Be a Wake-Up Call to Value Every Single Individual We Interact With?
This is doable when we stop being self-absorbed and start being self-aware!
There are so many men and women who hold no distinctive positions but whose contribution towards the development of society has been enormous.
Nelson Mandela
I need to start this with a confession, I dreamt of becoming a doctor when I was a little girl. Unfortunately though, I didn’t get enough points (long story for another time) and was directed to engineering.
Today, I’m pretty sure social conditioning played a role in shaping my dream. Still, I can confidently say, it was also coming from my core part that, luckily, was never fully shut down.
It’s way deeper than the social status and proof of success automatically granted to doctors — the distorted social lens part. It’s about an exquisite universal principle we call service!
This thought makes me recall a brave man moving reflection. A security guy, feeling unimportant and doubting his life choices, asks himself this question, “Why the hell am I doing this?” Right then, a little boy appears from nowhere. He’s scared, crying, and saying, “Officer, can you please help me? I can’t find mommy?”
It’s situations like this when you realise it’s never just about you!
I’ll not hide the admiration I’ve always felt for doctors — at least those who stay loyal to their noble mission.
My admiration is currently multiplied ten times by witnessing the outstanding commitment and selflessness, not only of doctors, but all the incredible medical staff. We will never be able to thank them enough for their priceless contributions in these chaotic times.
My point here is that every single individual has their place in this world — even if they’re not yet contributing in some outstanding way. After all, most people struggle to find an optimal way for their voices to be heard.
They need society to use their minds creatively. They need people to exploit their passion effectively, so that they could give back to the global society as much as possible.
You can count me in this group!
Interestingly, this Coronavirus pandemic is proving financial contribution is crucial, for sure, but far less important than living a meaningful life, being in service, and making an impact, no matter how large or small.
Sometimes a smile or a sincere and uplifting compliment goes a long way.
This story happened a couple of months ago in a supermarket: I was in the deli section admiring the smiling service being given by the assistant. I waited for my turn while another customer asked for information. He was looking for sausage.
(I need to provide you with some context here: in Tunisia, we don’t produce sausage. When it does exist, it’s seldom local.)
The customer was a tourist. The assistant looked confused, he didn’t even recognise the word. I saw it and quickly translated. I felt he was relieved but still embarrassed.
So, I added, “Oh you don’t have to know it at all, you know! It’s not part of our locally produced food. He’s a tourist, and you can’t be expected to know all foreign foods. It’s by no means your fault!”
As there was no rush we continued talking. His questions and comments showed his curiosity and thirst for learning.
When I was about to go, he told me, “I wish all customers were like you”.
I am frustrated by passive listeners, but I was very impressed with his active listening, so I answered, “Oh no! I am the honored one!”
Last thoughts
We all spent nine months in our mother’s belly (okay maybe less in some situations) and we were all divinely granted the same internal gifts:
Our power of choice, the Principles Center, and our four forms of intelligence or seeds of greatness.
Stephen Covey
We were born in different environments we never chose in the first place, some less privileged than others. Maybe grownups didn’t do a great job keeping us connected to our gifts.
Some of us were harshly abused physically and emotionally, maybe both? For some kids, the psychological abuse was covert, subtle and way more confusing and impacting on our self-worth. For the luckiest of us, we were loved, maybe inconsistently, by inherently-good parents.
At the end, we all leave this body the same way. The question is:
How would you want to be remembered?
I hope this pandemic triggers a magical shift, makes people less absorbed and consumed by their own concerns. Gives them space to be present, and observe what’s happening around them.
At the end of the day, we are no different. We all crave the same needs, and the best way to give back to the world would probably be by getting people to feel more valued.
What if we all, collectively, decide to make every individual we interact with feel they matter, and that they have their value and place in this world? What if this was our most honourable achievement?
Maybe I have written those lines with torn eyes and shaking hands. Still, it’s with a heart full of the faith that a new wisdom era will emerge from this chaos!
Gratitude
Thank you for deciding to invest some of your precious time in reading this part of my heart; it means the world to me!
If you enjoyed your read and that you can get excited about the idea, we can become email friends here.
