Philanthropy – “love of humanity”

Posted on May 14, 2015

I didn’t know what philanthropist meant, but I hope one day we all become one. “Love of humanity”, is there such a thing? I hope so. But first let just start somewhere closer to us. What human means, and let just choose one thing for now. One of the things all of us can relate is suffering, emotional or physical, but we are all wired for struggle and pain. I will take a little detour in my chain of thoughts, but I hopefully it will make sense at the end.

I don’t believe that there is a normal way to think, behave, feel or react. Life is fucking hard sometimes and we all deal with it differently. Without exceptions everyone experiences suffering. It’s human nature, it’s something we all have in common. The cause and the way we cope with it can be different, it also can be physical pain, illness or emotional suffering, which is as real as any other form of our troubles. Suffering is inevitable, but it can makes us grow as a person and can lead us to a larger intelligence and a deep heart. Despite that this could be our meeting point often we are not open about it, and instead of being a bridge between us, it becomes a wall that separates us. When we see people who struggle with their identity, people who are mentally ill, or people who are struggling with addiction we often judge and don’t offer help. But even in every day interactions we are lack of true compassion.
I’m sure there were times when you tried to talk with someone about your sufferings, problems, things that matters to you (like a breakup, stress in the job, feeling lonely and depressed, etc.). You tried to get them to see it the way you do, but many times ended with you feeling bitter, resenting for making you feel even more alone, like your pain doesn’t have any substance, like you’re just complaining and your story is meaningless. And that’s why I didn’t believe in salvation by others. The only solution that you pick up the broken pieces and somehow put them back together.

BUT, I learned that this isn’t the whole truth. Yes I still believe that the final decision is upon us, but I truly and wholeheartedly believe that human connection can heal someone’s soul and can help get through their sufferings and make life easier.

Human connection can come in many forms, can be a word, can be a text, can be a supporting remark and nowadays can come even via internet. Can be a smile, saying ‘I noticed you’, and that smile can mean for a person, that ‘someone valued my life, even though I couldn’t ’. It can be someone holding your hand and you can feel without a word, ‘I’m here for you’. Can be an act of kindness from a complete stranger. (And now I want to thank for all the little and in the same time not so little “things” people did for me, when I was able to experience true connection and caring, even if I was not able to accept it.)

And I think one way to improve this area of life, where we can reach out for each other, and build connection is to be open about it, to share our stories, feelings and most of all learn to share our sufferings and learn to listen to the other person and be compassionate about their sufferings. Because sharing your emotional suffering (which I think sometimes it’s harder than sharing your physical pain) does not make you weak or flawed. It does not define you for eternity or does not define you at all. If you’re mentally ill, struggle with depression, you’re labelled because of your sexual orientation, your gender, your religion, or you are defined by society how you should normally act, then you should burn those badges.  Maybe I shouldn’t mention all these things like they are comparable, but that’s the point the struggles are different, but the cause is the same, suffering.

You are not the labels society or even yourself gave you. You are a complex human being with a story that sometimes is heavy and difficult, sometimes beautiful and hopeful, sometimes confusing and messy. It’s an unfinished story and most importantly it’s yours, it’s unique and valuable. And there still time for change, love and growth.
We have so much to learn from each other and I think sharing our stories, thoughts, happiness and struggles can help tearing down the walls build from fear and suffering.

I hope for a future when our deepest desire for human connection and love can arise an open conversation no matter what our struggles are. In the end I learned that I have pain and I can make peace with it, it helps me become a better person hopefully. And I also want to become a person who is able to help and be there for others and let others help me too. Now I just have to learn how to step out, reach out and hopefully make a difference.

A future philanthropist

🎵