Helping Others:

I believe that most anyone can do anything if they want it and put their mind to it. They have it within themselves to make it happen. Sometimes they just need some encouragement and a 'push'. Helping Others, Helps Ourselves. More specifically, when we help others prepare for potential future events, they will become more self-sufficient and less dependent on others when those events take place (Example: Retirement Planning vs. Welfare). Remember the adage 'Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime'. A person wrapped up in 'self' makes a very small package. Share yourself with others.

My understanding of life is that there is no guarantee of anything, except death. So, from birth until that guarantee kicks in, what purpose have I served? Has it all been to "spend it upon my own pleasures" or have I done anything to help others or make this world a nicer place to live? Is it all about getting as much as I can for myself within my [undetermined] allotted time, or is it about investing in others? My Introspective analysis to date indicates that I have spent my time and resources upon my own pleasures. It has been "all about me". As I look back on past opportunities to share, I feel failure. Even immediately after a personal encounter with someone, I think, "why didn't I do this or say that?". I didn't because I am so self-absorbed. This results in an empty and unfulfilled life. I so wish I could be one of the Exceptional Souls. Do you have a fulfilled life or are you filling it with self-centered stuff? Is there a nagging feeling that something is missing? What might be missing are actions and thoughts of sharing and caring without expecting anything in return. If selfish fulfillment is the goal, it will, one day, result in an empty feeling in the soul begging for the answer to "have I done anything to help others or make this world a nicer place to live?" As I pray for change and continue to seek a less selfish attitude, I encourage you to break away from self and start sharing with others.

One of the best things we can do for ourselves is to help others with their emergency planning and prepping. By doing that, we may reduce the number of people knocking on our door when a disaster happens.
• Have "the conversation" with them.
• Share the Emergency Preparations Checklist with them.
• Share other Prepping Resources with them.
• Be as generous as possible without compromising your own personal plans, information and supplies,
  [Blog Link]

Donate goods and money to local charities that help the homeless and less fortunate Prepare, and keep in the car, a Homeless Care Pack including things like: Knit hat Gloves Tube socks Emergency blanket Pre-moistened hand wipes Tissues Travel-size toiletries Printed card with the name, address and telephone number of the local homeless shelter. Not recommended: Consumables due to possible allergies or potential legal liability and Cash/money due to potential misuse

In an emergency or survival situation, hope may be the only thing that will get us through. Hopelessness leads to powerlessness. And powerlessness (the inability to affect change in our lives) leaves us desperate and sad. When helping others become more hopeful when things look bleak, focus on helping them define realistic goals, offering support and being a hopeful person yourself.

Upon its conclusion, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was the longest-running series in PBS history (a record eclipsed by Sesame Street in 2003). Host Fred Rogers (known to millions as simply "Mister Rogers") used his gentle charm and mannerisms to communicate with his audience of children. Topics centered on nearly every inconceivable matter of concern to children, ranging from everyday fears related to going to sleep, getting immunizations and disappointment about not getting one's way to losing a loved one to death and physical handicaps. Can We Have a Mister Rogers' Neighborhood World? Here are 5 things 'Mister Rogers' can still teach us. 1. Slow down and be patient. "Mutually caring relationships require kindness and patience, tolerance, optimism, joy in the other's achievements, confidence in oneself, and the ability to give without undue thought of gain." 2. Love people for who they are. "Love isn't a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like 'struggle.' To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now." 3. Everyone is a neighbor. "Sometimes you're right where you need to be." 4. There is always a reason to help. "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" 5. Treat others with kindness. "There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind." Watch Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood Videos

VOLUNTEER:

You can't help the world, but you can help ONE. Some people choose to be lazy. A few minutes with them proves they have no desire to better themselves. But when we find those with a determined spirit, it is worth the time to empower them and foster responsibility and accountability to help improve their dignity and productive life purpose. "Work is about a search for daily meaning as well as daily bread…" — Studs Terkel. You're at lunch with a friend who's looking for a new job. They tell you they're interested in a company where your college friend works. You haven't spoken to your friend in a few years. What would you do? 1. Tell your friend you'll make the introduction 2. Tell your friend you'll make the introduction, and then ask them for help on your own issue 3. Tell your friend you don’t feel comfortable making the introduction since you're no longer in touch with your college friend It turns out your answer to this question reflects your 'reciprocity style,' which is the way you approach interactions with others. According to Adam Grant, author of Give and Take, there are three different types of reciprocity types: givers, takers, and matchers. Givers seek out ways to be helpful and give to others. Matchers play "tit for tat" — they reciprocate and expect reciprocity. Takers focus on getting as much as possible from others. Which are you? These resources may shed light to identify your 'reciprocity style' and provide suggestions how to make a better world for you and others. Resources: Self-Centeredness & Addiction Surprising Psychology of Givers, Takers, and Matchers Signs of a Taker in a Relationship: Are You a Taker or a Giver? Take the Giver/Taker Quiz

God gave us a conscience to help us know right from wrong; good from bad. Guilt is God's way of telling us we did something wrong and we need to "fix" it to get back on the right path with Him (redemption). If we keep ignoring our conscience, it becomes seared and our understanding and distinction of right and wrong become blurred, even destroyed. So, it's good to deal with, and be healed from, "God's guilt" right away and He is quick to help us heal that relationship. However, man has other uses for guilt; usually to manipulte or enslave us and rarely is it ever forgiven; this is "false guilt". Feelings of guilt that will never go away because our slave (man) keeps throwing it in our face and never forgives us. This kind of guilt is wrong and not from God. This also applies to self-guilt; guilt we will not forgive ourselves. But if we have confessed it and asked God's forgiveness, we are forgiven. So, holding on to self-guilt is just as bad as if someone else was holding it over us. Our response to "man's guilt", including self-guilt, is to ask forgiveness and move on. At that point, it is the other person's responsibility to accept your forgiveness or keep making you feel guilty. Whether or not they [permanently] accept your apology or not is up to them; you have done your part and must move on to be free of their "false guilt". If they refuse your apology, it's time to re-evaluate your relationship with that person; they will continue to have a negative affect on your freedom from guilt. Guilt is God's Tool to Forgive but Man's Tool to Enslave. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Read: Guilt, Atonement and Freedom.

Being in a position that could potentially cause conflict with others, or make you go against your personal morals, leads to difficult decision making processes. It is possible to train your conscious mind to methodically go through these processes. Consider and Evaluate Take a step back to rationally think through the situation. Imagine possible outcomes. Consider any other individuals involved. Stay Calm Try not to overthink or over analyze the situation, your reaction and possible outcomes. Keep your emotions in check. Talk to someone to relieve any pressure you have on yourself. Evaluate how you handled the situation, what your thought processes were like, and if applicable, who you spoke to for advice. Maintain Reputation Carry out what you do in a manner that appropriately represents you and others. Touch base with others and act as soon as possible. Let everyone make his or her voice heard.

We all know it but we have to be reminded now and then that our lives tend to get out of control if we don't determine to take life at a slower pace and to be less rigid. Schedules and budgets are based on perfect scenarios. The problem with that is obvious; rarely are there perfect scenarios. In other words we set no margins for the uncertainties of life which happen, frequently, throughout the day. When we slow down and accept the bumps along the way, we allow ourselves to recognize how we can help others. Society's self-destructive addiction to faster living How can we keep up in this fast-paced world?