I’ve always been a judgmental person, so I’ve decided to see the world through heart-tinted glasses. Rather than see people as people, I’m trying to see their heart, not their physical heart, but how much heart they have.
For example, although this boy looks disabled, I see him motoring around our library every week. Everything about him reveals a huge heart.
Kids in general have tons of heart, yet we often tend to forget that. We tend to be condescending towards kids, rather than filled with admiration.
Picture a baby leaning to stand or walk. Watch how many times they fall on their behinds, yet they never give up. They keep getting back on their feet. Wouldn’t it be great if we all maintained that perseverance?
When I look into the hearts of others, I can see past MY prejudices, judgments, and biases. For example, at my son’s last Kung Fu lesson, one of the kids was acting out. He kept showing off, asking inappropriate questions, and pretending to fall while doing cartwheels. He was so annoying–to me.
During the water break, this kid tripped while running towards the water fountain. One of the other kids in class ran to him and said, “Oh my God, are you ok?”
At that moment, I saw into all of our hearts. The empathic kid obviously had a huge heart. The “annoying” kid had an innocent heart. My heart was jaded and cynical. I almost laughed with satisfaction when I saw the “annoying” kid trip.
When we are taught to judge others and ourselves by what we look like or how athletic we are, we often lose sight of heart. My Auntie Francis lived her entire life loving and serving others. She took care of her aging parents while taking care of us kids. Then she took care of the kids’ kids. Like many of the forgotten saints in our lives, she lived her life alone. She had a deformity in her arm that ostracized her from dating circles her entire life.
I wish someone besides our family could have recognized the heart, beauty, and purity of my Auntie Francis. My goal is to not let saints like my Auntie Francis go by unappreciated.
Tomas from Heartfelt2013.wordpress.com posted a wonderful video called “if we could see inside others’ hearts”:Life, in 4 min.” I’ve reposted it here.
Imagine if we combined empathy with looking through heart-tinted glasses.
Who would become our new heroes and celebrities? Who would our children worship as role models?
Thank you for reading, sharing, and/or smiling.
Who is your heart-tinted hero? Please share.
Related articles
- Teaching Children Empathy (babyzone.com)
