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Recently, I have been learning to understand more and more the great importance of humility. In this life, we are all essentially connected. No one person is better than another. We all started out as vulnerable infants, babies dependent on others to ensure our survival. We needed to place trust in the hands of our parents, our family members, our community and fellow person. From this trust, we realized that we need one another to survive and it taught us the valuable lesson that though we might want to believe we are where we are because of independent actions, we could never be who we are today without the interpersonal connection with others.

On this note, the more I think about this universal tie to other people, I know that I must learn to be even kinder and more compassionate to all who cross my path. Though it is something I already do my best to improve upon everyday, I know that there is always room for improvement. I know that sometimes when my heart stays angrier at a person or withholds a form of love (i.e. maybe a compliment) two people are losing out on an important growing moment. Two people because whenever we give love to another person, we are essentially giving love to ourselves as well. We cannot do something good for another person without feeling good about ourselves.

And, conversely, if we put down others and treat them in anyway other than kindness and compassion we are hurting them and we are hurting ourselves. People make mistakes. Sometimes people make extraordinary mistakes that cut your heart deeply, forgive them anyway. Give them more love than their actions may warrant at that moment. Their actions are crying for love. Would you walk away from a baby that was crying, in need of love? No, you would embrace that infant and softly caress away his or her tears and tell them everything will be okay. To others, you can look beyond their age, their insecure veneers, and whatever other mask they have put on and see into their heart. You can see their need to be loved and treat them with every ounce of compassion you would give to yourself if the situation was reversed.