Amanda Krakovitz
Stepping Stone 24 Guide
"I am a field instructor for Outward Bound—an International Program that organizes outdoor adventures. In this role, I seek to transform lives by cultivating perseverance, cooperation, and creative problem solving."
On February 14, 2021, I was walking alone at sundown on the Jersey shore, with the ocean lapping at the shoreline, when I came across four words engraved in the sand: “LOVE TO ALL BEINGS”. Below this message was a HEART fashioned out of roses, shells and seeds. I smiled to myself as I imagined the person who took the trouble to extend this message of love to the world, with no intent to gain recognition in return.
"Indeed, whenever we lift up others, we lift up ourselves!"
Later, as I was making my way home, I passed a flower shop, with a beautifully decorated storefront. Normally, I would simply move on, but this time I just had to let the storeowner know how much I appreciated her decorative effort. When I phoned her from the sidewalk in front of her shop, I could hear the joy in her voice; and I felt the same joy rising within me, offering me a taste of what it’s like when we truly begin to see and appreciate one another.
After discovering that LOVE message in the beach sand and expressing my appreciation to the flower-shop owner, I was filled with a desire to spread similar acts of kindness and goodwill to others, as a way of building community. Indeed, as Sobonfu Some points out, at the opening to this steppingstone: “When you don’t have community, you don’t have people to affirm you and support you in bringing forward your gifts.”
As a result of engaging full-heartedly with this steppingstone, I am discovering that with each gift, act of service, and act of kindness that we extend to each other, the stronger we ALL become, both as individuals and as a community. Indeed, whenever we lift up others, we lift up ourselves!
