Last week, we encouraged you to slow down a bit and take some time to invest in yourself. Hopefully you managed at least a few minutes to feel relaxed and rejuvinated because today our focus is on investing in others.
Just as work, family, church, life, and any other number of factors seem to get in the way of us investing in ourselves, they also get in the way of investing in others and most often the ones closest to us.
You may be asking yourself, “But I just spent three nights making a costume for my daughters play on top of shuttling her to practice and her brother to ball practice. Not only that but we skipped the drive through and I actually made home cooked meals all three nights even though we all had to eat at separate times. And, on top of all that I still worked 40 hours this week for a boss that has more demands than I have time to meet. How can you say I’m not investing in others?”
True. Most, if not all, of your time is spent investing in others. But today, we want to go DEEPER!
While you were doing all of those things did you ever slow down enough to actually enjoy the moments? Did you actually connect, on a DEEPER level, with the ones you spend so much time working for?
Investing in others can come in so many forms but here are a few questions you can ask yourself as you focus on investing in others.
- What can I do to offer encouragement to those around me?
- How can I show that I am fully present and listening?
- How can I show love and concern without judgement?
- What can I do to comfort someone?
- Can I anticipate someone’s need without them having to ask me first?
- Is there something I can give this person without expecting anything in return?
- Can I do a good deed or a random act of kindness that will lighten someone’s load?
We asked several AWB members to share about a moment when they committed a random act of kindness or when they were on the receiving end of a random act of kindness. Here is what your peers had to say:
It was my birthday on Sunday, and flowers appeared on my desk at work on Friday. You might think they were from my parents, or sibling, or boyfriend. But no, it’s more awesome that they were from professional colleagues/friends at a local radio station. I don’t know what made them decide to do it, but their unexpected kindness has made me smile for days, and will stay with me and remind me to find ways to do the same for others.
~ Jodi Beznoska, Everything and a Racehorse
I was the recipient of a random act of kindness a few years ago. We were preparing to take my daughter to Children’s for some appointments, and I had much less cash than I usually feel comfortable taking for the trip, but we had just enough, so I felt I would be okay. I was surprised when someone from my church who didn’t know the situation took up donations from church members the night before we were set to leave town. We needed that extra money when several things came up that we didn’t normally deal with on those trips to ACH!
~Jennifer A. Janes
How NOT to perform a random act of kindness
I was eighteen– young, carefree and completely naïve.
My eighteen-year-old self terrifies me.
It was the end of my first year of college, the summer of 1997. My best friend and I spent the entire day shopping, and on the way home were chatting about our nightly plans when we spotted him. He was dirty, old and carried a military duffel bag. Some Most people would see him as dangerous, instead we saw an adventure. Click here for the rest of the story from Misty Willbanks of Burlap & Beestings.
We are all really good at doing the things that are EXPECTED of us. Let’s all take some time this week to try doing things that are UNEXPECTED. Call it a good deed, a random act of kindness, a pay it forward. Whatever you choose to call it find something you can do for someone else that allows you to connect with goodness on a deeper level. Perhaps even consider moving beyond a random act of kindness and find away to invest on a deeper level with those you interact with every day.
Misty,you crack me up!