Is our comfort zone a good place to stay? I can say from experience that it is not good at all. It covers our eyes from the truth, from reality. Your reality is not the same as others’; there are people who are really in need, and not only in need of money or food — they need a hug, a kiss, a good night. There are people who are in need of love.

I used to feel bad about my life because I believed that I was alone, that there was no one beside me. I thought that there was no life worse than mine because I was too egocentric, I didn’t see that there are people out there who are living without anything or anyone. People helped me to open my mind and my eyes to reality, and I saw that everyone is going through something bad in their lives: familial problems, financial need, or lack of affection.

In OPSOLI, which means “Solidarity Operation,” some friends and I went to an impoverished community to serve, to catechize, and to play with them. There I met a little girl named Jaden; she was living in poverty and was looking for some fun. When I first talked to her, I realized that she did not get much attention in her house. I saw that her mom never gave her a hug or a kiss on her forehead. When I gave her a hug, she smiled from cheek to cheek. With the passing of the days, she made me feel like a big brother; she brought out my protective and affectionate side. She taught me that everyone has a good side, that every cloud has a silver lining.

We all have to get out of our comfort zone. I have and I´ve learned a lot. I have learned that I´m not the only person with problems, that my problems are not as big as I thought they were. I met children who are living with almost nothing, no food, no home, no clothes, no school, no water. I met grandparents abandoned in asylums, waiting for their sons or grandsons. They taught me that we are not necessarily happier with plenty, that by giving a few moments of our time we can make someone’s day better, and that we can be happy with little.