I used to see this old man outside my local store. His clothes were in tatters and his face was weathered. I don’t know his name but I imagine it would be Bob. It was obvious that bob didn’t have many possessions. He probably lived in a cardboard box down a dirty alleyway. But the thing about Bob was that he was always smiling. Bob would be smiling if the temperature was well below zero or the sun was so hot it was blistering. Bob was one of those guys who would smile and acknowledge everyone walking by.
Unlike most of us, Bob didn’t care for money, his currency was something much deeper. Bob was looking for human connection, he wanted to love and be loved. It was clear to see that the best part of his day was when someone stopped to talk to him and simply spend some time with him.
As a child we begin looking at life with an open heart and an open mind, we smile just because we want to, we don’t limit ourselves or our abilities. New experiences excite us and we see things without bias or judgment. We are truly connected to the world around us.
But something happens as we get older. The feelings of wonder, joy and excitement get lost or buried deep down within us. We get caught up with the stresses of life, the big houses, the nice cars, the power. We end up growing hard and cynical. We get selfish and ultimately we stop living with love.
Our love for people is often replaced by love for money and expensive ‘stuff’. We hide our true selves away, close ourselves off from the world and lose sight of who we are.
By losing those connections we don’t realise that when we lie to others, we are lying to ourselves, when we hurt others we hurt ourselves. We get stuck in a downward spiral that many of us never get out of. But there is hope, there is a way out. It doesn’t take money and it’s not hard to do.
So how do you reconnect?
Have benevolence, be kind hearted and give the gift of love and generosity. By doing this you will be able to forgive yourself for the mistakes you have made. You will find an inner strength, feeling of self worth and the feeling of once again being connected to people and the world.
In our dying days of our lives we come full circle. The love that we gave to money and ‘stuff’ gives way to the love for people that we want to be surrounded by at the end. The need for family and friends overwhelms us as we finally understand what the whole journey of life has been about. The experiences we have had in life tell us that without love and connection, this world can be a dark place to live.
If we can just live understanding that we are all one, together in the struggle of life we can look at the world with a new set of eyes and see hope, love, dreams. And we can smile once again like a child.
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