Fear of Reaching Out

Today I want to talk a moment about those feelings we get urging us to reach out to someone .. someone we don't know.

You ever see someone out in public and immediately get this urge to go over and speak to them .. offering a hand .. advice .. encouragement or a hug?

This is what I'm talking about today .. I have two stories I'd like to share with you today.

Story No. 1:

The first happened a few years ago....

I was going to Tong Ren(energy healing) classes with a friend of mine and there was a woman there .. who had obvious sadness or depression in her life. I always carry crystals with me ... and the first time I saw her .. this voice inside me said .. give her the crystal.. I fought back and fourth with that voice through the whole class. I told the voice.. I can't do that .. I don't know this lady and she doesn't know me.. what will she think... be the voice insisted I give her the crystal.. the class ended and I didn't give her the crystal.

The next class, there she is again and oh boy there is that voice again. All class I argued with the voice and struggled with what to do.. going over in my head how this would play out if I made the decision to hand the woman a crystal.

By the end of the class .. the voice was so overwhelming that I gave in.. took the crystal from my bag and turned to face the woman with my hand out ... crystal in hand.. she looked at me and started crying .. not just a little tear .. I mean she was seriously crying .. she took the crystal and hugged me.. and then said .. Thank you for noticing and thank you for caring. WOW! I was speechless .. yes, me .. speechless. It felt good... and the voice had been right all along.


Story No. 2:

Ok this happened to me yesterday.. I was at the gym, riding the bike.. pushin and goin like crazy trying to get through the whole 30 minutes and reach my 8 mile mark. I notice a lady in the mirror behind me.. she is on the treadmill and quite a large lady .. I felt a great sadness and loneliness about her and I couldn't help but keep checking on her. She is on that treadmill walking the whole time I am on my bike and my thoughts go out to her. I'm inspired by the fact that she is in there just like me fighting this battle to get fit. It's her loneliness that keeps pulling my attention to her .. not her size. I wanted to get off my bike and ask her if she minded if I walk on the treadmill next to her .. I wanted to do this so maybe we could strike up a conversation and that maybe I could take away some of that lonely feeling she had. Again, I argue back and fourth with my own feelings... I don't know this lady and she doesn't know me. Maybe she just wants to work out and be left alone.. but that feeling I keep getting from her makes me want to help her.

The voice keeps on talking and I keep on arguing. I wanted to go up to her and say.. just in case no one has told you today.. I want to say I'm proud of you.. but that sounded weird to me and I was worried how it would come across and how she might take that. I just wanted to find a way to keep her encouraged and to take away some of the loneliness she had.

I finished my 30 minutes and my 8 miles and even though I so badly wanted to approach this lady .. I didn't .. all the way home I kept thinking about her and was kicking myself for not doing something. I hope I see her again... I will try to strike a conversation and just offer to come work out with her if she wants a buddy to workout with.

Maybe she didn't want or need the help.. but then again .. maybe she did .. and there I was doing nothing about it. After all whats the worst she could do .. tell me no and to tell me to piss off.

I regret letting my fears keep me from doing what I was instinctually guided to do.

I'd love to hear your stories, if this has happened to you .. or if you were on the other end and a stranger has come to you out of the blue to help.


Many Blessings,
Raventalker