When forces beyond our control turn upside down those things in life we
tend to assume are secure – whether it’s our homes, our savings, or our
communities – it’s easy to slip into being worried, upset and afraid. We tend to shrink back, withdraw, and go into
survival mode, even when we ourselves aren’t the ones directly impacted.
Here’s the thing that’s surprising for many
people: Being someone who contributes to others in times of need doesn’t just
make a difference for THEM, it makes a profound difference for YOU. There’s even a growing body of scientific
research that says much of human happiness comes from the relationships we have
with each other, including those of contributing to the community as a
volunteer, for instance.
Being part of a community and making a
difference – even if it’s a relatively minor one – is deeply rewarding. Even if you yourself are busy, stressed,
perhaps worried about some problems of your own, the act of contributing to
others and doing something positive for a community tends to put your own life
and problems in perspective.
Tip #1: Commit to contributing.
Where most
people get stuck is in feeling bad, feeling helpless, feeling like they should
do something, but can’t. Once you
resolve for yourself that you are going to contribute in some way, you
don’t have to wonder any more whether there’s something you can do. You’ve just said you ARE going to do
something. Now you can get to work on it.
Tip #2: Create it as a
self-expression.
There are so
many opportunities out there to contribute – which speak to you and are a
natural expression for you? Each of us
has particular strengths, particular things we’re passionate about. You can look to see which causes are close to
your own heart – for example, the environment, or children, or animals, or
people having homes. In the case of a
community struck by a disaster, there are many different ways to make a
difference in that situation. (Note: www.serve.gov is a great web site to find an
opportunity to contribute that’s just right for you.) The point here is to create a way for you to
actually express yourself, your commitments, your passions.
Tip #3: Take action.
The final thing
here is to translate your commitment into reality. Call the organization you choose and make a
promise as to what you’ll do, when you’ll be there, and so on. And consider contributing on a regular basis,
having it fulfill what you're truly passionate about and committed to in
life. Build it into your life, have it in your calendar – otherwise, what
happens is, life gets in the way and then you're left just busy again. If you have created a means of contributing
that’s a self-expression for you, it’ll be important to you to make the time
for it.
In all the years I’ve been coaching people in
Landmark seminars, it’s become very clear to me that what really matters to
people is being able to make a difference in some way. Human beings have a fundamental instinct for
connecting and contributing. When we
reach out and contribute to the larger community in whatever way, it lifts our
own spirits and creates a sense of fulfillment and wellbeing that really
impacts the quality of life for us as well as others.
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About the Author: David Cunningham, M.Ed., is a communication expert and seminar leader for
Landmark, a personal and professional growth, training and development company
that's had more than 2.2 million people use its programs to cause breakthroughs
in their personal lives as well as in their communities, generating more than
100,000 community projects around the world. In The Landmark Forum, Landmark's
flagship program, people cause breakthroughs in their performance,
communication, relationships and overall satisfaction in life. For more
information, please visit www.LandmarkWorldwide.com.
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