Are you carrying extra?

Spiritual Veda
19 hours ago
3 min read

We spend so much of our lives preparing for our own needs. We pack our bags for work, charge our phones for the commute, and ensure our cars have enough fuel to get from point A to point B. But what if we started preparing for the needs of a stranger?

There is a profound, quiet shift that happens in your soul when you begin to carry "extra." When your glove box isn't just for registration papers, but holds a few packs of biscuits. When your bag isn't just for your laptop, but holds an unopened bottle of water.

You aren't just carrying supplies; you are carrying **readiness.**

Have you ever been stopped at a red light, locked eyes with someone on the corner, and felt a sudden, sharp tug at your heart? That is your soul recognizing another. Usually, in that moment, we scan our cars for something to give, find nothing, and the light turns green. We drive away with a lingering sense of "I wish I had something."

By keeping a small stash of essentials with you—water, a snack, a simple pair of socks—you eliminate the barrier between the **impulse to help** and the **act of helping.** You give your soul the tools to act on its best intentions without the "second thought" that so often talks us out of being kind.

There is an old saying that "the prayers of the needy find the shortest path to heaven."

When you hand a cold bottle of water to someone standing in the heat, or a simple meal to someone who hasn't eaten, a connection is made that transcends language or status. You might never see that person again. You might never know their name. But in that moment of spontaneous giving, a silent "thank you" or a whispered blessing is sent into the universe on your behalf.

You never know which of those prayers is the one that protects you on a rainy highway, or the one that brings you comfort during your own dark night.

Kindness doesn’t always have to be a grand gesture or a scheduled volunteer shift. Often, the most meaningful grace is the one that happens in the mundane moments of a Tuesday afternoon.

* **In your car:** Keep a small box in the passenger footwell with non-perishable snacks and water.

* **In your bag:** A simple granola bar or an extra umbrella can be a miracle for someone else.

* **In your heart:** Stay "porous." Let the world in. Don't let the hardness of life stop you from feeling that "nudge."

When you live life prepared to give, you begin to see the world differently. You stop looking at the street as a series of obstacles and start seeing it as a garden of opportunities.

So, the next time you’re at the store, buy that extra bottle. Tuck those biscuits into your bag. It costs so little, but to the person who receives it at the exact moment they felt forgotten by the world, it is a reminder that they are seen.