The other day, I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a video that really resonated with me. Titled "This Man Has Saved Over 300 People From Committing Suicide," I couldn't help but watch to see who this miraculous hero was. To summarize, Chen Si is a man from Nanjing, China who has volunteered at the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge every weekend for the past 13 years. Notice the word "volunteered." He is not getting paid to do this. It is simply out of the goodness of his heart -- that to me is the most beautiful trait a person can have.
According to the clip, the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge is one of the most common places to commit suicide. Chen Si visits every weekend, just walking around and carefully observing anyone who appears to need help. As a result of his ongoing random acts of kindness, Chen Si has saved over 300 people from ending their lives.
Chen Si is not paid to do this, but rewarded through the visible difference he is making in individual lives. When asked his purpose of doing this, Chen states that it is "to wake up more people's sense of responsibility and love, to care for one another." If everyone exhibited this type of compassion toward others, imagine the result.
Too many people need to be rescued, not just from the side of a bridge, but from their own inner demons they may struggle with every day. I know this. Take a page from Chen Si's book. If you see someone is obviously upset, even a stranger, please say something. A simple "Hello, how is your day going?" can turn a bad day into a not-so-bad day, and this can make all the difference. Depression is often a result of a feeling of loneliness -- if someone, anyone reached out to a stranger who's upset, that feeling of loneliness temporarily disappears.
A person may not be on the edge of a bridge ready to jump, but it doesn't mean the immense thought of doing so hasn't occurred to him/her. Try to emulate the actions of Chen Si wherever you are. Maybe it's the grocery store, or maybe it's at school. A person may just be upset over a bad test grade, or a failing relationship, but a few kind words can make all the difference.
Watch the video below:
