This happened to me the other day. I was taking a walk around the downtown area where my office is located and noticed a man searching for change in his pockets to pay a parking meter. When I noticed that he didn’t seem to have any change, I decided to help him out.

I just happened to have three quarters in my pocket and as I approached him, he seemed leery. I quickly extended my hand to offer him the quarters and the look I received was priceless.

He was completely caught off guard by my gesture and looked like he was in a bit of shock. I can imagine him thinking “why is this guy giving me money’?

Once he realized that I was just trying to genuinely help him out, he gave me one of the most sincere “thank you’s” I’ve ever received.

As I walked off, I felt incredible. Yea, it was only 75 cents, but I had made a difference in his life, even if only for a moment. It’s times like these that you realize what life is all about. It’s not about all the stuff you have or all the money you can make, it’s about what you can do for others.

The Power Of Unconditional Giving

tree

When we help someone unconditionally, we tend to feel our best. There is something very powerful about this feeling and its ability to change our lives. Can you remember the last time you did something that truly impacted someones life for the better? How did you feel afterwards? I’ll bet you felt incredible!

It’s during these times that I think we are able to create our best life. Our creativity seems to flow, our outlook on life immediately improves, and life seems to be ours for the moment.

Personally, my posts seem to turn out better, my energy level goes up significantly, and things just seem to fall into place when I am feeling this way. Did anything physically change? No. It was my mindset and attitude towards life that changed and it made all the difference.

I was inspired simply by helping another.

We don’t need to cure cancer or feed all the starving kids in Ethiopia to make a difference in the world. We can do it one small token of caring at a time.

Unfortunately, our society has a “what’s in it for me” mentality and it sucks. If people could just get past their own selfishness for a few moments, they might be able to dramatically improve their lives as well as the lives of others.

A Selfish World

money

The world is full of selfishness, what it needs more of is unconditional giving. Forget about what’s in it for you and extend your hand with only the thought of giving.

Maybe it’s because of the industry I have worked in for 9 years, but I have seen enough greed and selfishness to last me a lifetime. I have seen the worst in humanity and it was one of the reasons I left Wachovia Securities years ago.

The shadiness and dishonesty in the brokerage world is sickening and although there were plenty of honest advisers, there were enough scumbags to give me a permanent sour taste in my mouth.

Financial services, like any other business should be about helping the clients, not screwing them out of their hard earned money.

What Can You Do For Another Today?

Homeless-person

I’ve been fortunate enough to have people in my life that readily offer help, guidance, and support, all without the interest of anything in return. These selfless gestures have allowed to to see the goodness that resides in people and has inspired me to do the same.

Every day, I ask myself  “what can I do today to make one person’s day better”? Sometimes, I don’t have an answer, but if I put a little thought into it, I can usually come up with something.

Here are few examples of small things that can make a difference in someones day (or even life):

  • Pay someone a sincere compliment. Surely we can find at least one thing that we like about someone. Let them know what it is.
  • Offer a helping hand. Maybe it’s someone who could use assistance taking their groceries out of their cart or someone who is carrying too many things and needs a hand. Don’t just walk right past them. Take a minute and help them. It’s so easy and I guarantee you will feel better about yourself.
  • Share the wealth. Even if you are struggling financially like I am, there are plenty of people who have far less. If you have a job, you are better off than millions of others. I’m not suggesting you go out and start handing out $20 bills, but what I am suggesting is that you open your eyes and take a good look around. Help when and where you can, even if it’s a small amount.
  • Help a brother out. If your friend needs a lift to the airport at 1am, offer to take them even though it will interfere with your sleep. If a friend needs help moving, offer to help them even though you hate moving.
  • Help those in desperate need. This is something I have a deep passion for. There is a relatively large population of homeless people in the downtown district where I work. Each day I see a number of men and women sitting idly on a bench or standing on a street corner. Now, many will say that they brought this on themselves or that they’re just addicts, but honestly, who gives a shit? They’re human beings and regardless of how they ended up freezing in the cold, they are still freezing in the cold. Don’t be like everyone else and ignore them. I’ve actually met a few very interesting and seemingly genuinely nice people on the street. Their stories are amazing and you’ll be surprised at how something like this can impact your life.

These are all things that I have done and I can tell you with all honesty, that it feels awesome when you can help someone in this manner (except driving to that damn airport).

So, ask yourself what you can do to make someones life better today. It will take only a few minutes of your time and it truly is a win-win situation.

Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts. What will YOU do today?

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