Deanna Liderman New York, NY Empathy Deanna’s Calling Card of Kindness “She understood that more than any one thing, the greatest gift she could give was her time and getting to know the man behind the homelessness.” “We, as human beings, have become desensitized to pain and hardship because its omnipresent and overwhelming. We, collectively and individually, feel powerless to change it because it’s one person against the world.” Deanna Liderman says. It was a chance encounter Deanna had outside a pharmacy across from Grand Central Terminal that gave her an opportunity to infuse kindness into the world. As she walked into the pharmacy, Deanna saw a young man sitting on the ground in tattered blankets – a sight that unfortunately is not so uncommon in New York City. In the same situation, others may continue walking on by possibly thinking, “Well, I’m just one person, what can I do?” But with a kindness mindset in place, Deanna stopped, looked up at the man’s face and asked if he needed something from the pharmacy. He shook his head as if to say no, but instead of jumping at the chance to just walk away feeling like she did her part, Deanna stood there until the man simply replied, “I haven’t spoken to my parents in a while, can you get me a phone card?” Not money, not food, not anything else, but a phone card. As Deanna went into the pharmacy she heard the man shout “Thank you!” When she returned she could have handed him the card and went on her way, feeling a sense of satisfaction that she helped someone. But simply handing over a card wasn’t enough – not for Deanna. She understood that more than any one thing, the greatest gift she could give was her time and getting to know the man behind the homelessness. Little did she know that the short conversation would provide her with more inspiration than she could have hoped for with an invaluable lesson to be learned. A lesson in perception; to look beyond the negative perception that many have of homeless people and to realize that you are talking to a fellow human being. A person, that as she came to learn, was more than just a man sitting on the street. He was an artisan, a jewelry maker, a talented man who was just down on his luck. What Deanna saw in him was something many of us fail to see in each other – possibility. Reminiscing on that day and her unexpected inspiring talk with a stranger, Deanna says, “this was as close to happiness as I have felt in a long time.” Deanna now confidently tells the world that kindness is the key to happiness.
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