The Act of Opening Doors
There are many days when I think about what it means to be considerate of others; what it means to be aware of others we encounter, and if we have any role to play in improving each others' lives for the better. I created Lomisari as a way to enhance others' perspectives and motivations in life through the sharing of stories, creatives and their works, and simply showcasing people who are living unlimited around the world. But often I think about the small actions we can take each and every day to help others or to make their days a little bit better.
My habits…
As family and friends close to me may know, I frequent coffee shops to get work done and to be inspired by the activity of locals wherever I am. An example of this habit of mine was when I was abroad in Peru. I would go to the coffee shop, Basilica, in the city of Cusco whenever I could escape assignments and other tasks. I would do this to work on some personal projects. At the time, the project I was working on was a predecessor to my Lomisari brand. It was also a way for me to observe people without the influence of the group I was traveling with. One day, when I was video-chatting with my girlfriend, Olivia, I could feel the eyes of another lightly interested in what I was saying. As I later discovered, it wasn’t what I was saying, but the language I was speaking in that interested that individual.
This man politely interrupted my conversation and asked me something about the menu; an icebreaker to the conversation that began. As we started speaking, I gave in to his desire to speak and hung up the call with Olivia. This man whom I befriended, was an author from New York. He was working on a story in which he had 50,000+ words already; writing 5,000 words per day. This blew my mind. I was not aware of the dedication of some authors who crank out page after page when super focused. The other side of this is, of course, what they call a “writer’s block,” or a creative slowdown. Evidently, he was not experiencing that.
What he was experiencing, however, was a need for a conversation with another English-speaker. He had come to Peru to start an Airbnb business with his fiancé, and by then, he was in the country for five months. Unfortunately, things had not been going too well for them and their business wasn’t as fruitful as they had hoped. Part of the story he was writing resembled the hard moments he was going through in his life. That’s why when we started speaking, I noticed his need to let things out; to speak his mind with someone he could speak in a familiar language with. It was amazing how much we talked about, but also the change of mind he had about so many things, simply by having someone who could listen and return honest feedback.
Fast-forward: he is now happily married with his wife, he published his book, and he is doing well in life.
Other instances that come to mind when thinking about how to be considerate of others is much simpler than giving our undivided attention to others.
This is about the act of opening doors.
There have been many times when I have sat at coffee shops and delivery-men and women, elderly, disabled, or mothers with strollers are in need of help in opening the doors to enter. I wonder sometimes if I’m one of the only ones to lift their head and notice these moments. I am not, however, I will say that there are people who are socially unaware or simply do not bother. I make it a habit to read the situation every single time and to see if I could be of help, even when it comes to opening doors.
Whether it is giving up your seat on the bus, helping an elderly person cross the street, opening doors for busy hands, or even giving a listening ear to someone who needs to clear their mind, that selfless act will likely make that person’s day much better. Being considerate of others isn’t required, but it should be expected. Because if we are that person in need one day, wouldn’t we love to receive aid? And who knows, your act of kindness may be noticed by others who want to give back to you in return for your selfless acts.
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