Running a Mile in Stranger’s Shoes
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Contributed by Stephanie Staples at Your Life Unlimited
“Why are you tied together with a bungee cord?” That’s a very reasonable question – why were we attached at the waist with a bungee cord?
I had been super inspired by a duo who ran the Boston Marathon. One of them was blind so they attached themselves with a bungee cord and did all their training (and completed the marathon) in that fashion. I was wowed! I couldn’t fathom how you could run blind.
So my bestie, Marie, and I decided to enlighten ourselves, to run a mile in their shoes.
We went to a local park (less traffic, no curbs), smothered sunglasses with Vaseline (this created more of a ‘legally blind’ feel, rather than a completely blind experience) then we put the bungee cord around our waists and ran – well, perhaps more of a light jog. We took turns leading each other and we both agreed the responsibility of leading the other person safely far outweighed the tentativeness of being led.
I have had similar experiences to simulate what it’s like to have schizophrenia. It was terrifying; trying to do simple tasks with ‘voices in your head’ shouting obscenities at you constantly.
Most recently, I have done the ‘dementia experience’ and it brought me to tears.
Obviously, a short span of time simulating what it may be like for others is no comparison to the real deal, but I’m telling you, it was eye-opening nonetheless.
Now…your life, your version, your plan…
With so many people having ‘invisible’ illnesses, having struggles with things that we can’t even imagine, having trauma we will never know about – small experiences like these can help us increase our awareness, decrease our judgment, and increase our compassion for others.
We can’t always walk a mile (or kilometer) in someone else’s shoes but by pausing, reflecting, and talking about what it might be like, we may be able to give people more grace, more respect, more patience, and perhaps the benefit of the doubt more often. We can ask thoughtful questions, we can educate ourselves, we can suspend judgment, and we can be extra grateful for what we have.
Have you been quick to make judgments lately? What can you do this summer, whether solo or with a friend or family member, to help you understand others a little bit better?
If you need a little inspiration, check out the documentary – I’ll Push You and/or the July Happiness Calendar below.
Cheering for you, as always, Steph
Booking keynotes, leadership retreats, and coaching! To check if your date is available, just click reply and ask!
“Stephanie is an incredible motivational speaker who can inspire and move a room of thousands. It was truly fun to watch. We have filmed hundreds of speakers and Stephanie is definitely in the top 3 when it comes to professionalism, talent, and deliverability. She connects with her audiences and leaves them with takeaways they can implement immediately. I highly recommend her for your next conference. I will for sure be asking her to present at the next one we host.” Adera Angelucci, SprioCreative
PDF – Enjoy the Happiness Calender for July – the focus is helping everyone feel like they belong. I don’t know about you but it makes me happy when I include others and when others include me!
VIDEO – When strangers have the power to change your life (and they will never even know it!)
