"If you wait until you can do everything for everybody, in stead of something for someone, you'll end up doing nothing for nobody"
Charity, in the widest sense of the word, is so crucial, so important and yet so unbelievably simple to do.
Whether it is finance, time, support, guidance, care or even just a little attention, whatever you give to another person at their time of need shows them that they are not alone and there is some good that will find them when they need it most.
I was reminded of this earlier in the week when I was sent the following link on Facebook. http://theviralvault.com/homeless-child-sat-outside-freezi…/
The link was to a short video clip that showed a social experiment in NYC, where a young teenager wearing nothing but a ripped t-shirt and ripped jeans was outside in the winter cold, grasping only a black bin-bag and a sign that asked for help. He was outside on that same bit of pavement for roughly about two hours, with the world passing him by.
You can see that some of the people passing him were visibly moved by his presence in what must have been their otherwise ordinary day or routine journey. You can see the occasional individual pausing, thinking about doing something to help, before then walking on their way. And of course you can also see people clearly shielding their eyes from what is truly a painful picture to see.
Then, just as you start to question the lack of humanity in this clip, a man walks up to the teenager, sits beside him, talks to him, and then on hearing of the teen's (scripted) story, the man removes his winter jacket, places it around the teen and tries to offer him, comfort support and warmth.
However, what makes this all the more remarkable, is that the man who comes to help the teen is in fact homeless himself! For me, there is one poignant moment above all others. At that moment, the man tells the teen "and me being the older homeless person, we got to look out for one another. Maybe I can show you the ropes....you know, I messed up in life but you're young; you have a good chance with life..."
I dare you to watch this clip and not be moved!
So go out there, find some small way that you can make some small difference to someone that needs your help or to a cause that you believe in - find some small way to make this world a warmer, brighter, friendlier place. It doesn't necessarily need to be helping someone homeless (although it's definitely a great thing to do), or in dire straits. It could be something far more simply, like just being there when someone 'needs an ear' or a shoulder to cry on.
In JK Simmons' 2015 Oscar acceptance speech, he told the world that was listening to "Call your mom, call your dad. If you’re lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call ‘em. Don’t text. Don’t email. Call them on the phone. Tell ‘em you love ‘em, and thank them, and listen to them for as long as they want to talk to you." This is a great place to start. It costs nothing and it means the world. Or you could go for a coffee with a friend who seems down. If you're looking for somewhere to start then look to those around you, see who might need that friendly smile. You can never imagine what good something so simple and so ordinary can do.
And whatever you do, do it only for the fact that there is someone out there, somewhere, who is in desperate need of what only you can offer right here and now - no matter how big or small you might think that to be. Do it with love and compassion. Do it with the same love and compassion that you would want if you were in someone else's 'less fortunate' position.
Our compassion and our ability to care for another (no matter how good/bad our present situation may be) is one of our greatest gifts in this world.
If we help to save a life, its as if we have saved an entire world, and while we may not finish the task entirely, it is absolutely our responsibility to start trying. We absolutely should. Without question!
Charity, in the widest sense of the word, is so crucial, so important and yet so unbelievably simple to do.
Whether it is finance, time, support, guidance, care or even just a little attention, whatever you give to another person at their time of need shows them that they are not alone and there is some good that will find them when they need it most.
I was reminded of this earlier in the week when I was sent the following link on Facebook. http://theviralvault.com/homeless-child-sat-outside-freezi…/
The link was to a short video clip that showed a social experiment in NYC, where a young teenager wearing nothing but a ripped t-shirt and ripped jeans was outside in the winter cold, grasping only a black bin-bag and a sign that asked for help. He was outside on that same bit of pavement for roughly about two hours, with the world passing him by.
You can see that some of the people passing him were visibly moved by his presence in what must have been their otherwise ordinary day or routine journey. You can see the occasional individual pausing, thinking about doing something to help, before then walking on their way. And of course you can also see people clearly shielding their eyes from what is truly a painful picture to see.
Then, just as you start to question the lack of humanity in this clip, a man walks up to the teenager, sits beside him, talks to him, and then on hearing of the teen's (scripted) story, the man removes his winter jacket, places it around the teen and tries to offer him, comfort support and warmth.
However, what makes this all the more remarkable, is that the man who comes to help the teen is in fact homeless himself! For me, there is one poignant moment above all others. At that moment, the man tells the teen "and me being the older homeless person, we got to look out for one another. Maybe I can show you the ropes....you know, I messed up in life but you're young; you have a good chance with life..."
I dare you to watch this clip and not be moved!
So go out there, find some small way that you can make some small difference to someone that needs your help or to a cause that you believe in - find some small way to make this world a warmer, brighter, friendlier place. It doesn't necessarily need to be helping someone homeless (although it's definitely a great thing to do), or in dire straits. It could be something far more simply, like just being there when someone 'needs an ear' or a shoulder to cry on.
In JK Simmons' 2015 Oscar acceptance speech, he told the world that was listening to "Call your mom, call your dad. If you’re lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call ‘em. Don’t text. Don’t email. Call them on the phone. Tell ‘em you love ‘em, and thank them, and listen to them for as long as they want to talk to you." This is a great place to start. It costs nothing and it means the world. Or you could go for a coffee with a friend who seems down. If you're looking for somewhere to start then look to those around you, see who might need that friendly smile. You can never imagine what good something so simple and so ordinary can do.
And whatever you do, do it only for the fact that there is someone out there, somewhere, who is in desperate need of what only you can offer right here and now - no matter how big or small you might think that to be. Do it with love and compassion. Do it with the same love and compassion that you would want if you were in someone else's 'less fortunate' position.
Our compassion and our ability to care for another (no matter how good/bad our present situation may be) is one of our greatest gifts in this world.
If we help to save a life, its as if we have saved an entire world, and while we may not finish the task entirely, it is absolutely our responsibility to start trying. We absolutely should. Without question!
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