[2022-05-13] Be gentle
When I was working at Natural Resources Canada, I started an initiative called Changing our Organization through Respect, abbreviated COR (which is Latin for heart).
As part of our COR Conversations, we invited various people to share their stories. A Paralympic medalist who was a blind runner and an organ donor. A woman who lived with obsessive-compulsive disorder. An Indigenous veteran. A woman who had had a panic attack at work. A man who stuttered. A woman who had experienced a burnout. A man who had lost his son to suicide following bullying. A woman who had cerebral palsy.
Every speaker reinforced how little we know about other people's realities. This is not surprising. Many people are reluctant to share personal details for fear of being judged or treated differently. And few of us ask for such details, not wanting to appear nosy.
That's why it's such a gift when individuals choose to share their stories. It can help us:
- look at people who differ from us in a new light,
- understand the challenges they face, especially ones we don't face ourselves, and
- be more open-minded in our interactions with all people.
So be gentle with others. You do not always know what they're going through, what challenges they face, and what might be difficult for them (though easy for you). Approaching them with curiosity and acceptance could open the door to a dialogue that would enlighten you both.
