There is so much negativity going on in the world today. Just turn on the morning news and it seems the top headlines always include death and disease, a mass shooting, someone on trial for sex trafficking, gas prices and inflation and bickering in Congress. Now I understand that in journalism if it bleeds, it leads, but in this day in age, the top headlines actually reflect the various challenges we are facing on a daily basis. COVID-19 continues to affect our lives whether we like it or not, we’ve all been feeling the pinch in our finances and politics continues to be a hot button topic now more than ever.

But in light of all these things, I believe that we each have a responsibility to be a blessing to someone else. This means doing something for someone that benefits them in some kind of way. And it doesn’t have to be monetary. It can be, but doesn’t have to be. So today, we are going to discuss why it’s important to be a blessing to someone else, and ways we can go about doing it.

Reasons

I’ve got three reasons why we should be a blessing to someone else: it makes them feel good, it make us feel good and we may get it back in return.

Them

In life, we are all in the same boat. We have no control over what happens to us from day to day. Sure, some of us have more money than others, which helps us to control things to some extent, but at the end of the day, there are some things we just can’t control. We can’t control an illness, a death in the family, what the market will do, the choices other people will make, our own fate. We’re just out here living from day to day, taking what life gives us and trying to make the most of it. It is for this reason that I don’t look down on others and try to help whenever I can, however I can. Because although I may not need help today, I know that life has a way of humbling us. It can take a sudden and unexpected turn and I could end up in someone else’s shoes. And if it does, I am certain I will want others to do the same for me.

I know it’s hard but we should try not to judge others. We don’t know what circumstances led them to living on the street, doing drugs or committing crimes. Who knows if I’d have the same outcome if faced with those same circumstances? We should lend a helping hand to assist our fellow man.

Us

As a people person, I enjoy seeing people happy and smiling. I can watch a feel good story on TV and get teary-eyed. You know, the stories where a community rallies around someone who lost a loved one or whose house burned down. Or even when something amazing and unexpected happens to someone, like a basketball player hitting a buzzer beater in a game, or an athlete setting a world record. I think about how that person must be feeling in that moment and I start to take on the emptions that I imagine that person is feeling. My heart feels full. Just watching them and seeing the joy on their faces reminds me of what life is all about. It’s a reminder that there is still some good left in the world.

You may not be able to buy someone a new car, or remodel their kitchen. But even the slightest blessing can put a smile on someone’s face and that smile can have the same effect on you.

Boomerang

Being a blessing to someone else is most definitely about that other person. But the cool thing is that we get to benefit from it too. We get the warm and fuzzies inside as I previously mentioned, and it’s possible that we could get something else back in return. Think about a boomerang. We throw it and it comes right back to us. Similarly, I believe that when we send positivity, good deeds and positive energy out into the world, we get that back. I believe the opposite to be true, too. It might not happen right away and we may not recognize the connection when it does. But it will happen.

A young paperboy would bring the newspaper to the front step of an elderly couple’s home as opposed to just throwing it on their lawn like he did for his other customers. It wasn’t lost on the couple how it took time and energy for him to hop off his bike and walk up their long driveway just to bring the newspaper. He did this day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year. The elderly man, who was on the Board of Directors at a local university, later saw this young man’s name on a scholarship application. He instantly decided he would be the scholarship recipient, even though there were more qualified candidates in the bunch. That young man’s seemingly small sacrifice and act of kindness landed him a full-paid scholarship to the university he had dreamed of attending. How about that!

I am going to be a blessing to others

Now that you’ve been convinced that being a blessing to others is worth the effort, I’m going to discuss some ways that you can do so. I’ve got three ways for you – simple gestures, words of encouragement and acts of service.

I am making simple gestures that make a difference

A smile. A wave. Holding the door. Letting someone cut you in line. All simple gestures that can mean the world to someone. Imagine feeling unloved. Like you don’t matter and someone smiles and waves at you. Or feeling like all the doors of opportunity are closing on you and then someone holds the door open for you. You never know how a person is feeling or what they’re going through. That’s why it’s important to always be kind. It doesn’t cost you anything to let someone merge in ahead of you in traffic. They could be late picking up their child from school. It doesn’t hurt you to wave when someone lets you over. A lot of people look for that wave anyway. You may even forget that you did it five minutes later, but what if that simple gesture impacted someone else in a positive way for the rest of the day? For the rest of their week? What other simple gestures can you think of that can have a lasting impact?

I am a regular sharer of words of encouragement

A lot of us have experienced a time when we weren’t our best. When we thought the worst about ourselves and our situation, thinking that things will never get better. Sometimes a small word of encouragement can go a long way. This can be verbal, through a text message or a hand written note. I sometimes text my friends and tell them how they’re great mothers, or how they’re making an impact at work. I tell my husband that he’s a great father. I tell my mom that I and my children are lucky to have her. Maybe these words don’t matter much to them but what if they did? These simple words of encouragement could reenergize someone who was feeling down or discouraged. Words of encouragement can also be warranted or random. If you’re chatting on the phone with a friend and they’re telling you about their troubles, it may feel natural to slip some encouraging words in. But you could also wake up thinking about someone you love or care about and text them some encouraging words out of the blue. Or when you pass someone at the grocery store.

I am committed to helping people through  acts of service

As I mentioned, and as we have seen so far, money isn’t the only way to be a blessing to someone. You can also do things for other people. Bake some homemade goodies, babysit for a young couple, pick up someone’s groceries, bring someone’s trash cans in from the curb. There are countless things you can do to be a blessing to someone. I’ve created Ziploc bags with toiletries and handed them out to homeless people on the side of the road. Someone I know donated all of her baby items, like a crib, swing, highchair and clothing to a single mom. I often see Girl Scouts going door to door collecting canned goods for the Food Bank. You can make a list of acts of service you can do for someone or you can just think of them in the moment. Maybe you’re in the parking lot and you offer to bring someone’s shopping cart back to the corral. The possibilities are endless!

CONCLUSION

Although it is the holiday season, we should look for opportunities to be a blessing to others every day of the year. And as we have discussed, it doesn’t have to cost us anything at all. In fact, some of the most impactful blessings were free and done in the spur of the moment. But don’t let that keep you from purposefully and intentionally sowing a seed of positivity and blessings through a simple gesture, words of encouragement or an act of service. By being a blessing to someone, you will reap the benefits of making them feel good, making you feel good and possibly getting some of that goodness back in return.

Here are your positive affirmations to ponder on this week:

• I am a blessing to others.
• I am the cause of someone feeling good today.
• Being good to others makes me feel good inside.
• I am prepared to receive in return the positivity that I sent out.
• I am making simple gestures that make a difference.
• I am a regular sharer of words of encouragement.
• I am committed to helping people through acts of service.