Being considerate is a matter of the heart. thus, to be considerate is to have concern for others, to empathize with them especially when they are struggling with sadness, pain and loneliness. A genuinely considerate person, one who understand another’s heart, is an exceptional human being, an honors student of life. To have such concerns for others is to live in the most humane way. It is a sign of outstanding character.
Being kind-hearted, however, is not the same as being considerate. Being considerate means taking action on your kind-hearted feelings. this is especially true when injustice occurs. In fact, we display weakness by not taking action at a crucial moment. To be considerate means that the more individuals are suffering, the more difficult their behaviour is, the more love you show them. Doing so gives courage to help another. Consideration also means recognizing another person’s unhappiness for what it is, trying to understand and share his or her suffering. This will enable you to grow and at the same time help the other person become strong. Consideration is active, it is training ourselves in the art of encouraging others.
The important thing is not just to sympathize with or pity others but to understand what they are going through. Empathy is crucial. Sometimes having someone who understands can give others the strength to go on. Many people treasure consideration in others and want to be considerate but, at the same time, don’t want to get too involved. These people have a mistaken idea of what being considerate is, they think it means keeping a safe distance from others so as not to hurt them or be hurt. But, on the contrary, being considerate means allowing yourself to be close to others and valuing and respecting each person’s dignity.
Sometimes your sincere intentions will be completely rejected or you may be laughed at or even ridiculed. Remember, though, if this happens, turning around and getting angry at the person you’re trying to help does nobody any good. Letting fear paralyse you is foolish, too.
Ultimately, what matters is intention. One should have the courage to follow instincts when it comes to helping people. Your life will expand only as much as you take action on behalf of others, regardless of how they may react to your kindness. Consideration equals strength, so the more considerate of others you are, the stronger you will become.
Most people have a spark of warmth or human kindness in their hearts. No one is born cold-hearted. But if, as time passes, people bury their warmth deep in their hearts for fear of being hurt, they will become cold and hard. Similarly, those who are self-centered and think everyone is against them tend to gird themselves with the armor of callousness or conceit. Such behaviour is devoid of humanity.
So try your best to give meaning to your life by showing people around you that you care. This will propel you to greater heights and liberate you from innate darkness.
