Let's be Thoughtful of Others

In these challenging times there is always the temptation to think about the things in our lives that are not going well and to at times consciously or unconsciously ignore the people around us. However, if we would take sometime to observe our environment we would see people who could use our help. There are so many ways that we can show people, even total strangers, that we care about them. Some of these ways include giving a genuine smile to someone as you pass them, not the plastic smile of just spreading the lips, saying hi to a person, listen to an acquaintance or friend when he or she wants to speak, and writing a letter of gratitude to someone who made a difference in your life.

Today, I was reminded of this topic as I sat in an office reading a book and two men walked into the office and were talking very loudly and even when they saw me reading they did not lower their voices but continue to speak as if they were talking to someone a mile away. I know that these men were not hard of hearing because when the clerk in the office spoke to them he used a normal tone to speak to them and they heard him well and responded to him. I do not know what these men were thinking as they spoke so loudly but it was obvious that all they cared about were the conversation both of them were indulged in and nothing else seemed to matter.

This incident today also helped me to remember that on a college campus that I attended last spring some of the students would carry on loud conversations even when they see other students who were trying to study. Those students who were loud did not care about the other students and showed that by having loud conversations and laughing while their fellow students were trying to study. There was also another set of students who studied at home and if they see a student trying to study on campus they would try to have a conversation with that student.

It is obvious that we cannot change other people; nevertheless, we can behave in thoughtful ways towards others. If we see someone reading a book and we have a need to talk to our friend we can lower our voices while we speak so as not to disturb the person. Although the person may not be reading in a library we can still be thoughtful of the other person. As we go about our daily business let us be thoughtful of others and show others that we care for them.

Until the next post I leave you with these words:

"Seize the opportunity - it may never come again. Today is the day to reach out and lend a helping hand" ~ Treasury of God's Virtues

Be Blessed,

Joy