Podcast review of Beautiful Anonymous episode 255 – Unhoused

Beautiful Anonymous is one of my absolute favorite podcasts. It is definitely one you will see referenced here more than once. It provides such a unique opportunity to see life through the lens of another person who either has completely different life experiences than you or who you can relate to and feel heard/seen and less alone.

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a financially stable and home and get a good job out of college. That being said, I have never known anything but stability. I will be the first to admit that when I was younger it was easy for me to judge people who didn’t have the same stability I had. After all, “all you have to do is get a job and live within your means”.

I now know that life isn’t always that clear cut or easy. In Episode 255 of Beautiful Anonymous, Chris talks with a caller who had been financially stable, but had some bad luck and ended up having to live in a hotel for a year. The caller talks about how hard it is to get back on your feet after having one bad year and what it’s like knowing that if you’re sick and can’t work it may mean you don’t get to eat.

Listening to stories about real peoples experiences with being unhoused is a great reminder that you never know what someone is going through. No matter what caused them to end up in that position, no one deserves to not know if they will have a safe place to sleep or food to eat.

I was raised to appreciate what I had and understand that everything my parents provided for us was the result of hard work; however, that didn’t automatically give me the level of compassion for others I now believe is important. I had to look inward and recognize that I was judging others too harshly. I had to humble myself enough to realize I needed to be more opened minded about people whose lives looked different from mine.

Once I stopped judging and looked at all people equally, a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was able to just exist with the people around me instead of comparing myself to them. My judgement of others ultimately came from a place of insecurity and not believing that I deserved what I had in life. My judgment of others was a sign that I needed to reflect on my own life not a reflection of the people I was judging.

I believe we can all learn something from each other if we are willing to keep an open mind. What were your thoughts on “Unhoused”? Do you have a situation where examining your own mindset helped you fight judgment?