Things Homeless People can Teach You

Image

Any big city have our homeless and we see them on the way to get our morning cup of coffee or at the gas station or in front of our favorite store. It becomes a normal part of the scenery.  The less fortunate and homeless in society are often heavily looked down on. They are seen as weak, useless, and incapable of getting a job. For me, every time I see them my mind immediately goes to wondering what their story is. Did they once have a job, a home or a family? Did illness or addiction bring them to this? How sad, I always think to myself, that they may have once had everything I have right now and they lost it for whatever reason. It makes me count my blessings and realize how much I have.

Here I have created a list of the most important, yet simple things we can learn from those who have nothing.

Generosity - Most of us have seen a homeless person with a dog, or sharing what little food and coins he has with a stranger. What strikes me as true generosity is the fact that even though this person owns nearly nothing, he is still willing to share what is most valuable to him. Food and money don’t come easy to someone like that, so when he gives half of what he owns to a person he doesn’t even know - that is true kindness. From this we can learn to share a little more with people who have more or less than us, just to help another out.

Appreciation - Because food and money don’t come easy, neither does clean water and shelter. There is no place safe on the streets, and the early hours of the morning are freezing. Every single time they receive any of the things above, they are greatly appreciative. A warm place to sleep, or food in their mouth means the world to them. We can learn to appreciate all of the small things in life. If you woke up this morning in a warm bed, and made yourself breakfast take some time out to just be thankful for that. Remind yourself that not everyone gets what you have, and to many others your lifestyle is considered a luxury.

Salvage - Nothing ever goes to waste. Clothes will be worn until they fall off their back. Food will be eaten or shared until there is not a single crumb left. Everything will be used to it’s full lifespan, and won’t be wasted otherwise. Items aren’t discarded for ‘the next big thing’ like we often do with the things we own. It’s because we can afford it, but is it really a necessity? Homeless people live life so much simpler, because they are free from social media and cellphones and the pressure to buy high-end clothing brands. Homeless people show us to live simply and by necessity.

Self Reliance - In order to survive, the homeless must be self reliant and capable of supplying themselves. They have to find their own food, create their own shelter, keep themselves safe, and the list goes on. Being homeless is a 24/7 job 7 days a week. This is because there’s always something to be done. You will always need more food, warmer blankets, and a little bit of money to keep you going. Because of this, they become experts at being self reliant. Homeless people can teach us to be more self dependant, and to face challenging situations alone when needed.

Next time you see a homeless man on the street, don’t look at him with disgust. Look at him with sympathy and understanding, or maybe even give him a smile. To him, that might be worth more than throwing coins into his hat.