What is it that I see around me?  Do I see beauty or do I see problems?  Am I observant of those in need and able to serve others?  When I see people in need do I reach out a helping hand?  Do I take the time to bless them with love?  What is it that I see when I go out in the world every day? Am I aware of those around me or is it all about me?   

To one degree or another, all of us have issues to deal with daily.  I am aware of my issues and problems, but I choose to give those to God and concentrate on the positives and the beauty that I see around me. 

I am not in denial, I have faith that I will be presented with solutions.  I see the possibility.  I work through the alternatives that arise with hope.  I don’t ignore my problems, I delegate them to God and look for the positive in the situation.  Seeing the positive or beauty provides me joy daily.

There are many things I don’t see as I walk through life, but I feel fortunate that I typically see the opportunity to reach out to serve others.  It is a true blessing for both me and those that I am able to serve. 

Recently I was walking out of an office building with someone.  As we were walking out one door a gentleman with a walker was guiding a woman with a cane that had a red tip. 

The doors were so heavy that he could not open the door, hang on to the walker, and guide the woman.  He was losing his balance.  Of course, there was an automatic door opener, but it was too far away for him to see and probably would not have stayed open long enough for the two of them to enter the building. 

I said to the person I was with, “I will be right back.”  They looked at me a bit surprised but did not question me.

I helped the gentleman regain his balance and held the door open for them.  Simultaneously I prayed that the two would get to their desired location without falling.  I offered to assist them further, but they assured me they would be fine.  As I approached the person I was with, they said, “I didn’t even see those two people that needed help.”    

We all see different things as we go through life.  We can be in the same place and not see the same thing.  I can walk right by people I know without seeing them.  It is not intentional, it is just that I don’t look for people I know.  I am not wired that way.  Often times it is rather embarrassing, but I am simply focused on other things.  I am not purposely being rude, nor was the person unwilling to help the two people in need.  We just see different things.

I am sure I have walked by countless acquaintances without properly recognizing them or saying hello.  However, there is one that I will never forget.  I was shopping, very focused on getting the items and getting out of the store.  Someone quickly passed from the opposite direction and said hello.  I was probably looking right at them, but I was laser-focused on my shopping.

I didn’t know who just passed me so I stopped, turned around, and apologized to the person for not acknowledging them properly.  I could tell this person was genuinely hurt by my reaction. 

It is all about how you make people feel and I did not make this person feel important.  I know that I was not purposely being rude, but that encounter made me realize I needed to work on my awareness of those around me.  It is unlikely that recognizing people I know will be my strength, but I am more observant of those around me.

We all see different things as we go through life.  It is hard to understand why people don’t always see what we see or what we think is important.  Understanding that people see things differently and being open-minded to working on improving areas of weakness will help us all in how we view the world around us. 

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