Engrave This Upon Your Heart
I first heard this quotation several years ago, I was driving up to an intersection in Dallas where there was a person panhandling on the corner. A voice from the radio said this was one of Mister Rogers' favorite quotations and that he carried it around with him in his wallet.
"There isn't anyone you couldn't love once you've heard their story." -Mary Lou Kownacki
Mary Lou Kownacki is a Catholic nun of the Benedictine Order in Erie, Pennsylvania who works with families in the inner city. She is the author of A Monk in the Inner City: The ABCs of a Spiritual Journey.
The beauty and the truth - and the challenge - of the message hit me like a ton of bricks. I imagined what this guy on the corner's story could be, and the pause I took in imagining the scenarios that led him into these circumstances really humbled me.
While this sentiment helps me modulate my sometimes automatic impulse to judge another, it also helps me with my own judgement of myself.
We all have stories that have shaped us, especially from childhood. How about we love ourselves for our perceived shortcomings and the felt shortcomings of those who raised us?
We're writing our story in every moment of every day. What an opportunity! By acknowledging the impact of our past, we can choose to think and behave in a more compassionate and helpful way toward ourselves right now. And over and over again.
And with our cup running over, we have the grace, presence, and peace to give the same to others.
Mission-driven Executive | Inspiring compassion, curiosity, and play to effect real change.
2 年This reminds me of a similar story with a specific interaction - Annette Mason One time I was walking into a store in one of the ubiquitous Californian strip malls, planning to walk over to a restaurant in the same strip after picking up a few things. There was a man who asked for food/money on my way in. I declined, but kept thinking about him in the store. On the way out, having made an unusual decision, I walked straight towards the man, let him know I was about to walk a few doors over to get some food, and asked if I could treat him to dinner. His story was not an extreme one - probably all too common that close to Hollywood, as he’d come for the entertainment industry and no longer had the money to sustain himself in LA or return home. It does not take much to treat people as human - regardless of each others’ economic situations. In multiple experiences with those living on the street, I’ve found that touch of humanity to be of greater desire (and greater scarcity) than money. Thank you Kelly Woods, FMCHC for calling that interaction back to my memory this December.
Sabbaticalist & Succession Architect | Collaboratively Co-Design and Curate Immersive Leadership Experiences for Resilient People & Organizations | Author: A Traveler's Guide to Leadership & Life (Work In Progress)
2 年Kelly, that is interesting share and perspective. Thank you. I am curious besides contemplating the panhandler's story, did you engage in any actions directly with the panhandler?