Lend a Hand
People always say life really is about the small stuff. It may sound stupid, but just think about it. Lets say you’ve been out running errands all day. Your arms are full of bags, and your legs are sore from walking. You stare at the door and try to think of how you can shift your bags to try and open it. Than someone passing holds the door for you and smiles. Just this little act of courtesy, might have made your day just a little better.
However if you want others to help you, you should also help others. You never know when you might be that person with all the bags, who needs a door opened for them. This could also be used as a metaphor. Someone might be more willing to put in a better word for you at the company they work for, if you have done something nice for them in the past. Plus helping people out can give you a sense of pride, and let others know you are a good person.
You can also meet new people by helping others. If you volunteer to coach your kids softball team, you will at some point end up talking to the other parents. This could lead to new friendships. Another great way to meet new people is volunteering at the local nursing home. By talking to some elder members of the community you might get some new insight on life from someone who has been through much more than you. This is also a great way to spend your time, because a lot of these people are lonely, and would really like someone to talk to. In my own personal experience, I have volunteered to teach disabled kids karate. I spent so much time around these kids, that I ended up becoming friends with some of them. One I even still talk to twelve years after we first met.
Helping others can even be simpler than opening a door or volunteering your time. In fact it can require almost no effort at all sometimes. What I’m talking about is donations. Many towns have companies that will collect donations right from your front door. You know you probably won’t wear those outdated clothes from 10 years ago again, and all they are doing is taking up space and collecting dust. So why not donate them to charity? It helps you by freeing up more space, and it helps others who may not be able to afford new clothes.
Helping others is a great way to spend your time. You might even make yourself feel good in the process, or get insight from others that you would have never thought of yourself. Plus there’s always karma, what goes around comes around. If you help someone out, someone might help you out when you really need it.