Mislead by Distress

Kathryn J. Raths, LLC photo- Your world is skewed if you can't see beyond the mirror image. 

My post was inspired by an interview Oprah did with former President Jimmy Carter. He was talking about feeling the world's weight on his shoulders as President of the United States, but this was not because he was self-centered or felt better than anyone else. It was because of the empathy he held for those in the world. He continues to do a lot of work worldwide in helping communities struggling to survive. He communicated that the more he has worked with those less fortunate (post-presidency), the more he realized that these people are not inferior in any way. They are intelligent, loving, decent people he is honored to interface with, learn from, and help. I could feel his empathy and the sincerity of his values.

I, too, have learned the value of empathy. As a child who grew up poor, I felt many adults and peers look down their noses at me through the eyes of individuals who felt superior. Why not? I was a scrappy little girl. I may have been this scrappy little girl, but a vulnerable, innocent child dwelled beneath my second-hand clothes. There was no mistaking the glares of those who didn’t have time for me in their world; the looks spoke volumes. Perhaps this drove me to work diligently to achieve stability in my life. As I became independent, it has been important for me to reach out to others and partner/mentor those less fortunate to empathize with them and extend a hand to help them move beyond the life difficulties that have held them back, which is not their fault.

My childhood motivated my work as a Mental Health Counselor. My foot is in the door as I hold a limited license with sincere hopes to help as many individuals as possible. I want to be a beacon of light that shines into the darkness to warm the world one person's heart at a time.

We'll make the world more loving if we are sincere in our efforts and can make a difference in even one person’s life! I challenge you to look beyond your own needs and reach to another because doing so, I believe it will give back 100-fold!

What are you doing to make the world a better place? Leave me a note, and let’s talk about it.