Giving a helping hand
Giving a helping hand is something so simple but so many of us overlook in our busy lives. Try to help others out when they need a hand, yes we are all very busy, but still try to give a helping hand whenever you can. You can be a volunteer in old peoples home etc.
Today I’m asking that you consider asking others for help or offering your help to others. Start with little things, like if you are going to the store ask your neighbour “Do you need anything?”, You could ask your neighbor for help “Would you be able to watch the kids for a bit while I run some errands?” or even “Do you have time for a cup of tea and a chat? Do you know someone that is ill or elderly or lonely that might enjoy a phone call, some cookies or going on a stroll in the neighborhood? Giving the gift of yourself, of your time, is giving yourself a gift of spirit; it really heals the soul.
Visit a hospital, hospitals don't take a break for the holidays. Call your local hospital to find out if it will accept volunteers for Thanksgiving. Offer to distribute food, bring small gifts to children or elderly, or simply sit and visit with someone.
The Rewards of Helping Others is tremendous
1. You feel better about yourself for having done it If you help someone do something nice they were not expecting you feel better about yourself. It genuinely lifts your mood.
2. The “pay it forward” phenomenon The person you did the favor for has a good chance of doing a similar favor for someone else. This “pay it forward” phenomenon actually exists – I’ve witnessed it over and over again.
3. The small deed may pay off in some hugely unexpected way keep your eyes open at all times for people that might need a helping hand. If you notice someone who is having a problem that you might be able to help with, from a cell phone call to pushing a cart or anything else, just step up and offer to do it. Do it several times. See how you feel inside after you do it, and then see if this little move didn’t just make the world a better place. Along those same lines, if you’re ever in a situation where you need a hand, look around you and imagine if others had this same philosophy. By doing your part to encourage a philosophy of offering a small social helping hand, you encourage others to do the same – and eventually that helping hand will come back around to you when you really need it. Consider it a form of social insurance – by paying the premiums of helping others, sometimes you’ll collect some amazing dividends.
By Hilda Oti
