Last week on my train home there was a homeless man giving a speech. He was asking for some spare change so that he could afford a shelter for the night. He looked sad and he had been apologizing throughout the entire time, saying he was sorry that he bothered us and so on.

I looked around the train, most people didn’t want to meet his eyes.

I know there may be people who think this man was probably a drug addict or a “professional” beggar. 

But I also know there are many people who were feeling sorry for him. Yet, it was hard for most of us to meet his eyes. 

Because no matter what he did in the past, his eyes were full of sorrow and shame. 

As a human being looking at another human being, you can’t help but feel that pain in his soul. That’s why it is so hard to meet his eyes.

I notice myself since I became a mother, I can no longer ignore the sight of sufferings. I have more sympathy and concern for the misfortunes of others. I may not always understand or able to imagine others' pain, but I can most definitely relate better than before.

I know more deeply about our human nature is always geared towards love. But when love is absent or taken away from us, we feel lost, sad, ashamed and broken.

The truth is, this is also a call for love. 

Be Kind. Be Generous with Love.

Compassion is different from empathy. While empathy refers more generally to our ability to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person, compassion is when those feelings and thoughts include the desire to help.

That’s the invite to extend ourselves, in the ways we can or know, to show love and help one another.

It may be giving some change or simply looking into the eyes of that homeless man to acknowledge him, silently saying, I’ve heard you.

When we hear a friend or someone we know is having a difficult time, we don’t necessarily have to make a great gesture or solve their problem for them, most often than not, we cannot. But what we can do is to extend love, kindness and be generous with our heart.

Sometimes even just say, “Are you ok? I am here if you want to talk.” and just be there and listen. 

A hug may seem like nothing, but it can mean a lot for the other.

As human beings, we all want to connect and be acknowledged. And there is one thing in common between both our greatest achievements and our deepest sorrow. They both matter to our hearts.

Often, we underestimate the impact of what a small act of kindness can do, it may just be the sign or turning point or the light that someone is longing to see. 

So let’s no longer withheld that light. 

Be kind and generous. 

Live wholeheartedly.

And answer the call for love. 

*The event mentioned at my podcast is called "Goddesses & Crystals", it is a full day event on 15 June (Sat) in Sydney, hosted by myself and Shelley McConaghy.