The Most Important Act

"As the bus slowed down at the crowded bus stop, the Pakistani bus conductor leaned from the platform and called out, "Six only!"  The bus stopped.  He counted on six passengers, rang the bell, and then, as the bus moved off, called to those left behind:  "So sorry, plenty of room in my heart - but the bus is full."  He left behind a row of smiling faces.  It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it."  ~The Friendship Book of Francis Gay, 1977

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion."  ~Dalai Lama

 

Being a pretty thoughtful person by nature, I've become hyper-aware lately of the ways in which I can all too easily go on auto-pilot and even be the one yelling at the person in the car in front of me that is taking his precious time making a left turn when I'm trying desperately to get somewhere that is "more important" than being right where I am in that moment...if I tape myself, I would probably both cringe and laugh at how ridiculous and "important" I sound in those moments.  But as I wrote in a song [Be Here Now] recently, "The moment before me is all that I need, the fear and the sadness my guide.  The more that I open to all that I see, the more I feel it all dissolve into love."  Part of being open to all that I see means being present for those who stand before me.  It means asking "How are you?" and actually pausing to listen for the answer.  It means recognizing that I'm...ahem...not the only person on the road who is trying to get somewhere.  It might seem like it takes energy to pay attention, but the cost of NOT paying attention proves much more detrimental in the long-run--to our mental, physical, spiritual, emotional well-being, not to mention the well-being of those around us.

 

As far as I'm concerned, the most important acts in life are those of kindness.  Being on time is cool, but not when it means being rude in order to get there (note to self...:)...).  Being right and passionately expressing in that righteousness has its place, but most of the time we can fall into a trap of being "right" rather than being kind.  Justice is not truly just without compassion and Truth bears no meaning without love.  Social justice just doesn't even seem very "social" when anger and argumentativeness take precedent in our relations with one another.  I understand getting things done--BP is not going to stop oil from spewing into the ocean by standing around hugging and smiling at each other, but they aren't going to get things done in argument with one another either.  Just think of how just our world would be if we all practiced regular acts of kindness--as in getting out of the way and REALLY listening to one another.

 

Yet, no matter how kind we feel ourselves to be at our core, it becomes all too easy to forget this one, basic truth--to get caught up in our heads, to feel that it is more important to get where we are going than to BE with the person in front of us, to feel that it is just too hard to reach out when life is pouring down on us.  But what truly matters most, what changes lives, what transforms our world, is our small actions, our ability to be kind to the person who stands before us.  

 

If you are questioning your purpose here on this planet...start with tiny acts of kindness, and you will soon discover that your question has been answered--it's easy to think that we have to do something BIG, but how we conduct ourselves and the people we touch when we're on the way to pursuing this big purpose, are really what matter.  If you are overwhelmed with life, if you are terrified of failure, if you have NO IDEA how to climb out of the hole that you find yourself in, be kind to the person in front of you and you will find your power.  Reach beyond your grief, do the vulnerable thing--smile, say hello, stop, listen, validate, seek out all that you share with the person beside you.  What will you find in Kindness' wake?  Joy.  What will you leave in Kindness' wake?  More Joy.  Blossoming lives.  Abounding goodness.

Let's try it, shall  we? :)

 

©2010 Melissa Simonson

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE? No problem!--as long as you use this entire blurb with it: As an Astrology Coach, Inspirational Speaker and Singer/Songwriter, Melissa Simonson sees it as her life's work to be an authentic expression of her inner truth, and to assist others in being the same. Melissa creates a space of fun and acceptance as she invites her clients to discover the extraordinary within their everyday lives. By asking powerful questions and bringing the spiritual down to earth through her own stories, she helps individuals realize that joy and abundance are not impossible to obtain, but rather a birth-right that we can realize at any time. To Learn more visit: www.igniteyourvoice.com