Feeling like life is not treating you the way it should? Maybe things could be better at work, or maybe you and your partner are in a rough patch? Or maybe you don’t have a partner, and wish you did, or perhaps your health isn’t up to par.
Well, instead of focusing on what isn’t working, turn it around. Take the focus away from yourself for a bit and go and do some social service. It will give you a whole new appreciation for the things you do have in your life. Give something to someone who is less fortunate than you are, and you’ll see, in a matter of hours, you’ll have a completely different outlook.
This past weekend, I went to a women’s shelter. Their purpose is to help women rebuild their lives after having been in jail. They offer many resources for the women there – food, shelter, internet and phone access, educational services etc. It’s a wonderful centre. Our service was to go and teach them yoga and offer meditation lessons. When we got there, I realised just how blessed my life has been. These ladies were really just starting their lives. They didn’t have anything. They were rebuilding themselves, one bit at a time, learning how to write a resume and find a job. Things I have been graced with since my teens. I never realised just how much I had or how much I knew, until I started sharing it. We gave our class, and the participant was so grateful. As soon as our class was over, she immediately went to the other ladies and shared how great she felt. It was the most rewarding experience. It humbled me. It made me feel ridiculous for ever complaining about the things I had been worried about in my life. It made me appreciate my life more, and even more importantly, it gave me a tremendous sense of confidence. It made me feel like I had a lot to offer others (whereas before this experience, I had doubted that :).
Our teacher says “Whenever considering doing good works, do not hesitate – do them immediately. Whenever contemplating doing bad works, linger and delay, so that the thought of performing them will wither away from the mind.” P. R. Sarkar
So don’t wait – find something you like and do it. Go for a walk downtown and bring a homeless man to the grocery store to get him some food. Drop by your local soup kitchen and drop off a bunch of food, or better yet, donate some of your time and help them cook. The possibilities are endless. Find a cause that you believe in and donate some of your time towards it. Do this and I assure you, you will feel great.
Your problems will feel less in comparison. And the nice side effect, is that when you give openly, selflessly, to another in need, you will gain. And you gain much more in return than you give. It’s the law of the universe. As we teach in our coaching programs – positive attracts positive and negative attracts negative. Every positive action is rewarded and every negative one is punished. If you want your own life to open up, help open the life of another.
Nalada, RHN, Lifestyle coach