"The challenge is to help one person a day with something that you normally wouldn’t help with. For example, if you already routinely help your co-worker with something, that doesn’t count. It must be a different person each day, and a different thing that you do to help. This experiment lasts for 14 days. So by the end of the experiment you and I will have helped at least 14 different people in 14 different ways.
So why is this a good idea?
• Helping others makes us happy ourselves
• It helps to give us a sense of purpose and satisfaction
• It helps to encourage altruism in others
• It promotes positive behavior in young people
• It helps build new or stronger friendships
These are but a few of the countless reasons why this could be a good idea.
The real question is: What type of an impact it will have in your life? To find out, join us in this 14 day experiment, and share your experiences."
I've been in this mode of trying to challenge myself--push myself out of my comfort zone a little--with the goal of reenergizing myself, gaining some insight, expanding my horizons, etc.
I'm not one to dive headfirst into huge changes...I'm a baby steps kind of a gal. So, the Life, Experimentally approach is really working for me. Do a little experiment...see what happens...others will be doing it with you...it's not scary...go for it...why not?!
So, here's what has happened on my 14-day helping journey:
Nothing earth-shattering has happened! But it has been gratifying and nice. Not sure I'm too far out of my comfort zone with this one. Probably because of how I have approached it. I didn't try to seek out big helping activities each day. Rather, I stayed mindful of what I was trying to do, and it was amazing how little opportunities presented themselves to me. Sometimes things that I might have absolutely done anyway, but I realized that all too often, I have been missing opportunities to help others, primarily because I'm not paying attention.
Also, I said "yes," a lot. Again, I wasn't great about seeking out big, mind blowing opportunities to help that might make the evening news or something. But I was really good about paying attention, taking opportunities that presented themselves to me, and saying yes when people specifically asked for help or opened the door.
I've decided to continue on this helping journey for at least 30 days, as I don't feel like it's time to stop. I think there is more for me to learn. I also think that there are some aspects of this experiment that I will be able to incorporate into my every day life. Just to be more mindful that there are opportunities everywhere, and that most of them don't require a huge amount of time or immense effort, though some things do require a significant commitment to do what you said you would do.
Looking back, most of what I did were small things like bringing food to my office on our first day back after Hurricane Irma, donating money to a couple of worthy causes, holding doors and helping strangers carry heavy objects. I also did and am continuing to do a lot of writing and book-related things (shows what I'm really mindful of!), like nominating a wonderful teacher for a very deserved award, helping a colleague by providing a letter of reference, writing a guest blog and providing other writing/editing assistance for a friend, and helping to promote a new author's first book by posting reviews and sharing my recommendation in a variety of locations. The other theme was sort of church-related, like supporting my favorite pastor who did a mini on-line service for anyone who wanted to tune in during Hurricane Irma, making dinner for an elderly gentleman from church who needs some help right now, and visiting a sick friend who's been in the hospital.
So, this reinforced what I already knew. Little things are the big things. And when you give, it's you who gain the most.
The day that I brought soup to my elderly church friend, I was so tired. I had gotten up at 4:30am to take my husband to the hospital for out-patient shoulder surgery, then returned home to get my kids out the door to school, then back to the hospital to wait around until I could bring Mark home, then home to do the nurse thing at some acceptable level. I wondered a couple of times if maybe I should have signed up for dinner making and delivery on a different day, but I was committed.
And here's the thing. Because I had committed to doing it, I had a plan. I had the fixings for my favorite comfort food, potato soup, and I spent the afternoon making it once we returned home from the hospital and I had Mark settled in. It was actually comforting to go through the familiar process of cutting up the vegetables and adding the broth and mixing in the other ingredients. My house smelled lovely, and I made plenty so that I could feed and comfort own family as well as my sweet church friend.
Then I made the delivery, and it turned out to be a nice opportunity to be alone with my thoughts as I drove. And the recipient of the soup is truly one of the kindest people you could ever meet. Seeing his smile and spending some time talking to him absolutely lifted me up. I cried on the drive home. Happy tears. Because that is what loving and connecting with people does for you. And that is what helping is all about.
• It helps to give us a sense of purpose and satisfaction
• It helps to encourage altruism in others
• It promotes positive behavior in young people
• It helps build new or stronger friendships
These are but a few of the countless reasons why this could be a good idea.
The real question is: What type of an impact it will have in your life? To find out, join us in this 14 day experiment, and share your experiences."
I've been in this mode of trying to challenge myself--push myself out of my comfort zone a little--with the goal of reenergizing myself, gaining some insight, expanding my horizons, etc.
I'm not one to dive headfirst into huge changes...I'm a baby steps kind of a gal. So, the Life, Experimentally approach is really working for me. Do a little experiment...see what happens...others will be doing it with you...it's not scary...go for it...why not?!
So, here's what has happened on my 14-day helping journey:
Nothing earth-shattering has happened! But it has been gratifying and nice. Not sure I'm too far out of my comfort zone with this one. Probably because of how I have approached it. I didn't try to seek out big helping activities each day. Rather, I stayed mindful of what I was trying to do, and it was amazing how little opportunities presented themselves to me. Sometimes things that I might have absolutely done anyway, but I realized that all too often, I have been missing opportunities to help others, primarily because I'm not paying attention.
Also, I said "yes," a lot. Again, I wasn't great about seeking out big, mind blowing opportunities to help that might make the evening news or something. But I was really good about paying attention, taking opportunities that presented themselves to me, and saying yes when people specifically asked for help or opened the door.
I've decided to continue on this helping journey for at least 30 days, as I don't feel like it's time to stop. I think there is more for me to learn. I also think that there are some aspects of this experiment that I will be able to incorporate into my every day life. Just to be more mindful that there are opportunities everywhere, and that most of them don't require a huge amount of time or immense effort, though some things do require a significant commitment to do what you said you would do.
Looking back, most of what I did were small things like bringing food to my office on our first day back after Hurricane Irma, donating money to a couple of worthy causes, holding doors and helping strangers carry heavy objects. I also did and am continuing to do a lot of writing and book-related things (shows what I'm really mindful of!), like nominating a wonderful teacher for a very deserved award, helping a colleague by providing a letter of reference, writing a guest blog and providing other writing/editing assistance for a friend, and helping to promote a new author's first book by posting reviews and sharing my recommendation in a variety of locations. The other theme was sort of church-related, like supporting my favorite pastor who did a mini on-line service for anyone who wanted to tune in during Hurricane Irma, making dinner for an elderly gentleman from church who needs some help right now, and visiting a sick friend who's been in the hospital.
So, this reinforced what I already knew. Little things are the big things. And when you give, it's you who gain the most.
The day that I brought soup to my elderly church friend, I was so tired. I had gotten up at 4:30am to take my husband to the hospital for out-patient shoulder surgery, then returned home to get my kids out the door to school, then back to the hospital to wait around until I could bring Mark home, then home to do the nurse thing at some acceptable level. I wondered a couple of times if maybe I should have signed up for dinner making and delivery on a different day, but I was committed.
And here's the thing. Because I had committed to doing it, I had a plan. I had the fixings for my favorite comfort food, potato soup, and I spent the afternoon making it once we returned home from the hospital and I had Mark settled in. It was actually comforting to go through the familiar process of cutting up the vegetables and adding the broth and mixing in the other ingredients. My house smelled lovely, and I made plenty so that I could feed and comfort own family as well as my sweet church friend.
Then I made the delivery, and it turned out to be a nice opportunity to be alone with my thoughts as I drove. And the recipient of the soup is truly one of the kindest people you could ever meet. Seeing his smile and spending some time talking to him absolutely lifted me up. I cried on the drive home. Happy tears. Because that is what loving and connecting with people does for you. And that is what helping is all about.
So, the helping experiment is not over. Not by a long shot.
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