Valuable Vision

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.

-Wayne Dyer

I read this scripture the other day....

"...and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished." - 1 Nephi 17:41

and I started thinking....

What does it mean to look?

By dictionary definition, the word look is both a noun and a verb-

: to exercise the power of vision, to seek, to examine, to expect, to make sure, to have the appearance or likelihood of being, to take care of, to await with hope, to have a specified outlook, to have an appearance that befits or accords with, the expression of the countenance, to show a tendency, to consider, to anticipate with pleasure or satisfaction, to direct one's attention to, to rely upon.

By scriptural definition, to look is an action and state of being necessary to our salvation-

"Look for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing;"  - Titus 2:13

"...unto them that look for him shall he appear."  - Heb. 9:28

"...look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ."  - Jude 1:21

"...look forward unto Christ..."  - 2 Nephi 26:8

"Do you look forward...to stand before God;"  - Alma 5:15

"Look unto me in every thought;"  - D&C 6:36

"...look forth for the time of my coming..."  - D&C 35:15

"...the Lord said...lift up your heart, and be glad, and look." 
- Moses 7:44 

I decided that I would try to better understand the spiritual sense of looking by exercising the power of  my physical vision. So I took a walk around the Arboretum while it was in the full bloom of spring.  But what, exactly, was I looking for?

"...all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me." 

- Moses 6:63

I think I'm beginning to see...

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

-Albert Einstein

A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be.

-Albert Einstein

Visibility does not equate to value.

- Howard W. Hunter

It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see. 

It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link of the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.

-Winston Churchill

...and *here*...

All the million little ways to say...

Kindness

'One of the greatest gifts you can give to anyone is the gift of attention.'

- Jim Rohn

This quote has come often to my mind lately -

"When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people."

-Abraham Joshua Heschel

When I first moved to Boston over three years ago, the only job I could get was waiting tables.  Nothing too great, but nothing too bad either.  I had waited tables before, at a restaurant in Kentucky, and it was one of the best jobs I've ever had.  Not because of the pay, or the job tasks, but because of the people.  My boss was great, my coworkers were great, my customers were great.  They were kind. They smiled a lot.  They looked you in the eye.  And they were always happy to see you.

Then, I waited tables in Boston. I would often go several days without one customer even acknowledging my presence.  No eye contact.  No greetings. No please or thank you.  I don't think that most of them ever looked in the direction of my face as I was talking to them.  It was often as if I didn't exist - I was merely the nameless order machine, there to serve them.  It was cold, it was lonely, and it was very hard.

Now, I'm working in the Pre-Op  Holding area at Children's Hospital.  Definitely not the same as waiting tables, but still in the realm of public service.  And I love my job.  Not because of the pay, or the job tasks, but - again - because of the people.  I am constantly surrounded by kindness.  Little kindnesses that are occurring every moment, and in so many different ways - between myself, my coworkers, my patients, and my patient's families.

My workspace is the 'buffer zone' between hospital check in and the operating  room, and it is a very emotional place.  Children come in scared and crying, and parents leave scared and crying. (I see more fathers cry in a day than I doubt many people will see in several lifetimes.)  I am constantly amazed at the power a small kindness can have during such an intense and overwhelming situation.  By simply paying attention to someone - their body language, the logo on their t-shirt, the color of their nail polish, the affectionate names used by family members - you can gain a wealth of 'kindness knowledge'.  A smile, a balloon in a favorite color, a sticker of a favorite character, saying someone's preferred name, waiting patiently while they gather their emotions, walking - or skipping - at their pace, can all make a huge difference in someone's experience; whether it be a one time visit to the operating room or the daily routine of waiting tables.

I've decided to work harder at my 'kindness aptitude'.  I've started to notice and pay attention to the way I interact with others: Do I smile and say hello to the toll booth operator?  Do I look my waiter in the eye when I order and remember their name?  Do I thank the bus driver?  Do I notice and compliment the beauty in others?  Do I encourage talents, skills, and abilities?  Do I make others smile or bring them joy?  Do I reflect the kindness I wish to see in the world?

Yes, I have a college degree, but that doesn't make me above the practice of human kindness, just as coming from a working class family doesn't mean I'm below human attention.  Titles, degrees, knowledge, belongings, ownerships, and job descriptions all have their place in this world-

but, 

in the end

only kindness matters.