Nobody encouraged me to get
involved, but it felt like the right thing to do, and it was. When we begin
giving back to our community on the premise that we are giving of ourselves and
not to receive personal gain, it ends up backfiring in the most positive of
ways. We receive so much more than we gave. The gifts are not on a retail shelf
or on the hottest dot com websites. Instead, they are gifts of emotion,
purpose, connectivity, aspiration, and the gift of hope.
So why do we stay involved? If
we’re not receiving tangible gifts then why aren’t we spending our free time
with a good book, vacationing, or playing Candy Crush Saga? It’s likely because
we have become addicted to relationships and personal growth we have received
when we become part of something that is bigger than ourselves. In other words,
it’s called loyalty.
Simply put, when we give to others
we also receive. It has become emphatically clear to me that my purpose on this
earth is not self-fulfillment through television, shopping, or by spending many
hours a day on the internet. Rather, it’s about waking up every morning, and
before my feet hit the floor I ask myself “What can I do to help someone
today?”
This is not meant to be
self-centered, but I think that if more people asked themselves (and their
friends) this question every day (even once a week), the world would be a lot
better off. So this is my daily food for thought, my friends. Thanks for
listening to another one of my ramblings.
