When you see someone who is upset and crying, it may seem easier to pass by without a word rather than stop and ask them what's wrong. While you may be avoiding someone else's problem, Dr. Robin says you're also missing an important chance. "There are times when people perish because [they] think someone else did what we should have and could have done," she says. "Today my invitation, my plea … [is to] stop walking past pain."
If you are at work and someone who is usually happy and bubbly is now quiet and hanging their head, Dr. Robin says you should ask her what is wrong. If you see a stranger at your church or a child at the playground who is upset and crying, Dr. Robin says you should reach out to them too. "The fact of the matter is you can feel confident, you can reach out and not just walk by someone's pain," she says. "I am suggesting that we start acting like human beings who give darn about other people, whether we know them or don't know them."
Printed from Oprah.com on Wednesday, June 19, 2013
