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| REFLECTION OF OTHER |
VICARIOUS
Placing yourself in someone else’s shoes is the beginning of VICARIOUS
action that leads you to empathy and compassion. Imagining yourself in the same predicament as
someone else allows you to VICARIOUSLY feel, think, and act on behalf of
another person. Acting as a substitute
for someone else broadens your perspective and enables you to understand
someone else’s suffering or pain. Have
you ever had the experience of seeing a bad car-wreck and imagining how the
victims were hurting and scared? That is
a VICARIOUS moment. When you watch a
movie and the movie elicits deep feelings for the actors you are experiencing a
VICARIOUS moment. When you see someone
else being hurt or bullied and you step in, not only are you acting from
compassion, but also you are motivated to step in because you understand
VICARIOUSLY how awful bullying feels.
VICARIOUS moments provide us with opportunities to grow and practice Ubuntu. The next time you find yourself looking away
from a homeless person or ignoring a disabled person, stop yourself and see if you
can have a VICARIOUS moment. Ask yourself,
“What would I want to hear right now if I were in his/her shoes?” Maybe just
eye contact and a gentle hello are better than pretending the disabled person
is invisible. Your face says a lot in
moments like those. Don’t let fear
prevent you from practicing a VIGARIOUS moment.
If you will practice VIGARIOUS moments, you will begin to feel more
alive and present to yourself and others.
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