If you look at the interactions around you, we have such power within us to put anyone down with ease. It takes no effort whatsoever to create moments of denigration. We can quickly look at others and poke fun at them for no reason. We can talk to others in their face and tell them they are not appreciated or loved.
These moments of sadness as I call them are so easy to create – and sustain. We can go around the carousel and when anyone comes around our path that we don’t like, we can come up with something new to put them down just by comparing ourselves with them and pointing out what is different.
We have become so in love with ourselves that we are forgetting to realize one of the most important areas of creation within our power that we are not fulfilling our life duty of – the power to uplift others. When people are down we love to throw more dirt on their misery.
When people need a hug we don’t give it. When people seek help we don’t come to assistance. If you look at how time has shifted we are becoming more selfish as a society as we make more money, drive luxury automobiles, and live in a cyber-electronic world where are breaking away from human-to-human interaction.
Many of us without knowing it, walk around with the attitude that life revolves around us, and not in collaboration others. I see this at work with people not paying gratitude with their team members and taking all the credit for work others do. I see this on the road, with people cutting off others just because they have packed their day and have no concept of time management. I see this in stores when shoppers don’t have the simple courtesy of saying “thank you” to cashiers and salespeople for helping them out.
I was at a friend’s 50th birthday bash last weekend. I met a young mother who was wheelchair stricken due to a condition from a heart failure issue that occurred a couple of years ago. From my intuition it seemed as if being restricted to a wheelchair was a completely new shift to this person. I noticed that there were moments of awkwardness of being confined to the wheelchair and not being as mobile as others. This didn’t bother me at all.
Her wheelchair was brought down to the basement and there was music playing and there she was on the edge of the dance floor just watching and enjoying from the side. A friend then put on the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams and everyone started to dance to the song. I was in the back of the room, behind the lady in the wheelchair, and I noticed that in the middle of the song all of the women started to give her a hug.
I was a bit confused. What I didn’t notice until I shifted my position by walking to the side of the dance area that she was overcome by emotions. It was as if she wanted to be happy, as the song brought forth memories of happiness, but it seems like she was fighting her situation with tears. This is where I noticed the power of the hug, community, bonding, and friendship from these women take over and put a smile on her face.
The communication these women provided through the hug were telling her that there is no need to worry and that they are with her every step of the way. The power to heal through the hug is one of the fastest ways to recovery. Its effect is quiet, gentle, and subliminal – yet powerful.
Look it is not easy for someone to be happy all the time. We all want to be happy. Sometimes it pays to put a smile on a strangers face. I didn’t know this person but I could tell the force of joy overcoming her sense of confusion and unhappiness through the song which must have triggered some memories.
We all struggle, and struggle is temporary. It is only by uplifting others that we take ourselves to greater dimensions and help them overcome their struggle. There is no reason to denigrate one another. This is foolishness. We do this within family, siblings, and friends, and there must be more control over this.
The power to uplift is one of the greater duties you can perform in your lifetime. Yes, this takes work but it is much better to uplift others than create moments of denigration.
Go out there and unconditionally put smiles on other people’s faces, without expecting anything in return, and you will see the door of joy open up for you.