A Transformative Encounter: Discovering Self-Worth in Cologne

When I was in Cologne, Germany, enjoying a beer at one of the terraces in the Old Town, a young man from the street approached me, asking for money.

I asked him: , "Are you hungry?"

He replied, "Yes."

I said, "Sit down, I'll treat you to a meal."

He looked at me with surprise.

He spoke English and asked me my name. He made a reference that my name was very beautiful.

He sat down and started reading the menu.

Then he said:, "No, it's better not."

I told him:, "You can choose whatever you want."

He looked at me, stood up, and said, "No, no. I can't."

I asked him: why?.

He looked at himself, pointed at his clothes, and said again, "No, I can't." He thanked me and left.

After this gentleman left the table, I did a lot of self-reflection.

How many of us have been in his position? Where we believe we don't deserve what we know we want for ourselves.

This insistence on thinking we are not enough, not prepared, or that we still identify with our appearance, how we look, or how many courses we need to take to achieve what we know we deserve.

How many of us still haven't accepted ourselves? Or by seeking perfection, we fail to see the beauty of life and all the abundant experiences it offers us.

For me, it was an honor to get to know his story, to have a conversation with him. My eyes saw him for what he is—a being of light.I was surely going to ask him many questions while we ate. I honored his courage in approaching each table asking for money, without judging whether it's right or wrong, that's his reality.

I saw myself in him, in the fear that holds me back from expressing love to someone out of fear of rejection, in the repetitive thoughts I've had, thinking that opportunities are limited. When he pointed at his clothing, I saw the many times in my thoughts that I feel like I don't have the ideal body to go on a date, that my curves define me.

When, in fact, my body is undoubtedly kind and wise to me every day, yet it's me who doesn't give it the rest it needs. There is still much to heal and evolve within me, I told myself that day.

Let's not dismiss the unphilosophical idea that perhaps that man just wanted money, and when he didn't get it, he simply decided to leave.

I appreciated his presence; he was one of the most important people I met during this short journey, where he invited me not to identify with external things, to continue working on my worthiness, and to insist that I do deserve to choose from the menu of opportunities that life offers me.This journey also invited me to dance more, thanks to my friends who invited me to a Latin party where I danced all night, something I hadn't done in a long time.