Most of us lead very busy lives. Some might work multiple jobs, and many take on all the things self-care, trying to make a lengthy checklist happen. Others fill up their time with multiple sports per child and other extracurricular activities. Singles love to mingle, as long as it's swiping left or right, while busy with extra hours at work trying to climb the ladder of success. It looks different for everyone. Everyone has a reason for doing things in their lives. Time slips by, and we often contemplate what we have accomplished.
The best way to beat depression is to serve others, big or small. What helps us be less focused on ourselves is serving others. Want to feel as though you’ve made a difference? Serve others. Serve others by volunteering at a food bank or shelter. Serve others by picking something up the other has dropped. Serve up a kind word. Serve up time spent watching and noticing people and then engaging with someone based on what you have seen and noticed.
Years ago, I was in Mexico doing service projects to impact a community with a team of people. After days of work, one day, our team took a beach day and relaxed. Someone I spent time with that day asked me why he felt he wasn’t having as big of an impact. Why was he missing out on serving in more ways and maximizing our time there? It turned out he paid for a phone plan to have access in Mexico, and I noticed him on his phone a fair amount between things. I answered him, “Look up. You’ve been on your phone a lot, and it’s fine but simple. Look up!”He took the advice and impacted several more lives through service; through listening to others; through kind words and more. His action had a ripple effect, and when our team met at the end of the trip, stories poured forth of all that had happened. More impact had been made than anyone thought possible. We all walked away, knowing this trip would stay with us forever. The lessons we took away were invaluable, and we left them changed.
Finding a great or small need is as simple as looking up. Look up from the device in your hand long enough to notice someone. Whether you can find an hour or one minute, we can all make an impact. Through my years of coaching and mentoring people on the road, I have realized that change can happen in a mere 45 seconds. I’ve seen a simple, short, encouraging word transform a life, give new meaning, and propel a person in their career for years beyond what they imagined. It takes no time to notice someone and see what you can do now. If you ever think you don’t have time, remember there’s power in less than 45 seconds. We all have that much in us to give. Take a step today. Look up from your device, and think about what you can do or say in a few seconds to impact a life positively. You never know when a kind word will prevent suicide. Sometimes, we don’t see the impact immediately, but if we’re lucky, we might have someone find us down the road and share what that moment meant to them. Never do it for the glory but for how good it feels to give of yourself and the change you can make in someone else’s life.
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