Think about it. Have you walked up to a doorway with someone, or someone close behind you, and then held the door open for them?
Or did you just open it and go in without a second thought?
Years ago, I was sitting at a restaurant by the door, waiting for take out. I saw a mature couple walk up and the wife was clearly having trouble walking. I immediately leaped up and opened the door so both could enter without dealing with the swinging glass door (which was heavy and also wanted to close due to the auto-closing mechanism).
After they entered, the husband thanked me profusely for the help and said that it was a long time since someone had done that for him.
Honestly I was floored.
The fact that this couple, with obvious difficulty in walking, didn’t have more people around them just giving them a little bit of support like opening a door. And that I was the only one in apparently years who had done this for them and as a stranger.
This memory stays with me until present day, and aligns strongly with one of my passions which is to help people.
Helping people.
In sessions with my clients when we work on finding passion and purpose, it is by far the most commonly appearing passion for EVERYONE.
Can you guess why? Or do you know?
We are HUMANS and SOCIAL creatures. We NEED others and COMMUNITY. To participate in community, we do get support but we also need to GIVE SUPPORT.
And all this makes us feel GOOD INSIDE. That we made the world a better place, even if with one person at a time. To know that we are not alone, and to give that feeling to someone else.
It can start today for you.
Try holding the door open for someone, or help a person in another way. Try this on a friend. Or see what happens when you help a stranger. Observe the reaction! Then afterwards, turn your attention inwards. What do you see there? What emerges for you when you help someone else?
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