Hey there . So I was on the train a few weeks ago , returning from a lovely visit with my dad in Ottawa , and I was boarding the train and just ahead of me in the aisle were an older couple . Now I say older , though truthfully they probably weren't that much older than I'll be soon enough , but they felt older
to me in that moment . Anyways , the point is that they weren't speedy or agile , and so were taking a bit of time getting their luggage situated . When they noticed I was in the aisle waiting , their zipping and tripping became frantic , which of course , didn't help at all with them going faster , slow down to speed up . I thought Don't worry about what others think about you . Focus on what you want , in this case to get settled , not what you don't want like annoying the other passengers , in this case me . As they looked back over their shoulder and smiled at me apologetically , I smiled back and told them not to worry . The train wasn't going to depart any sooner because I got to my seat faster . They were visibly relieved . They went on to remark that no one in London would ever have been as kind and courteous as I had been , would ever have been as kind and courteous as I had been no one in all of London , really . They told me they had been traveling for three weeks and were on their way home . We exchanged a few more niceties and I made my way back to my seat a few rows back . I felt good that I was able to help them not feel so stressed , especially after what I learned had been
a long trip away . Isn't it funny that , no matter how far you might have traveled on your journey , that last leg of the trip home always seems the longest .
Speaker 1Anyways , I sat down in my seat and I reflected on what they had said to me , and the more I thought about it , the more I felt something rising inside of me that well , that needed to be spoken . It would have been so easy to have ignored it and complied with the well unspoken conventions of travel etiquette or talking to strangers , but the voice of my inner agent . It's far stronger than the warnings of my inner critic that were trying to hold me back . It was only a few minutes when I decided not to resist the urge and chose instead to follow my inner voice . It was worth risking judgment , because it felt important , important to clarify something that I was concerned might have been assumed or misinterpreted . Hello again , I said , leaning now over their seat , back where they were now sitting , still wiping their brows now , but visibly relieved to be somewhat settled .
Speaker 1I'm sure that when you go back to the UK you'll mention the very nice Canadian girl you encountered on the train from Ottawa . Oh yes , they nodded in agreement , absolutely . Well , here's the thing . I went on to tell them that I'm a dual citizen of Canada and the United States and that I wanted to be clear that
being Canadian has nothing to do with how nice I am . Had we met in New York City , I went on to say our encounter would have been the same . You see , it isn't about a country or where somebody is from . It's about where a person comes from on the inside . The nice girl you met on the train is Lisa . I wish them a safe rest of their trip back and took my seat again .
Speaker 1I've never felt comfortable with assumptions , good or otherwise , that are made about people , this incessant need to assign meaning to why someone is the way they are instead of simply meeting them where they're at . It's automatic and it robs us of a gift . If we become more able to respond to and experience each person as an individual , we begin to realize that we're all connected , that every person we encounter is a fellow passenger in life's journey , doing the best they can , just like we are in the very same world we all navigate each day . It was my value , not my citizenship , that shone through that day in my interaction with my new friends on the train .
Speaker 1Now , keep in mind that I might not have said anything at all ,
either while standing in the aisle or returning to speak to them later again , and guess what ? We all would have arrived at our destinations . The train would still have stopped at all the stations . But by leading with my values then , I've created a space for reflection now for myself , for them and , who knows , maybe even for you right now , dear listener . In any case , it's a powerful reminder that , no matter where you go , showing up from where you truly come from matters , because that place not only travels with you , it can move others in new directions . I'm Lisa Hopkins . Thanks so much for listening . Stay safe and healthy , everyone , and remember to live in the moment .