No Need To Wait

We humans have a knack for coming together and rising up to our potential in the face of a tragedy. Natural disasters and acts of violence bring us out of our individual selves and into the world, ready to lend a hand to those in need. This experience is often life-changing for those who are willing to step into the position of helper. We feel that we are finally doing something important, and this gives us the feeling of more self-actualized. We feel more connected to the people we are helping, as well as more connected to humanity in general. As we expand beyond the boundaries of our individual pursuits, there can be a complete reality shift. We often find that it is much easier to be happy when we are motivated to make the world better in tangible ways, when coming to the rescue of those who suffer.

Considering the many benefits of this kind of gesture, it is surprising that more of us don’t devote our lives, or at least some portion of our time, to serving other people in need. We don’t have to wait for a tragedy, in our community, we can offer ourselves to ourselves to service any time. Sometimes it’s easier to respond to an event that has just happened rather than to ongoing problems like homelessness, poverty, and illness. The truth of this is that there is always someone in need of our best efforts to rally a group of helpers and healers. Maybe we feel discouraged because these smaller acts and gestures don’t generate the same kind of energy and attention from other people, yet perhaps an effort to change the small local efforts is one way to change the world.

The more we promote, applaud, and actively inspire humanitarian efforts in our community, the more others may be drawn to this kind of work in their communities and thus change the world. We might pay a little less attention to sports and celebrity gossip and a little more attention to those everyday heroes who devote their lives to alleviating suffering. The more attention we pay, the more we will inspire ourselves and others to be of service in our local community and the world that greatly needs our attention.