Helping Others In Need

Life can be pretty chaotic at times and especially during the school season. Helping others in need can seem like an overwhelming task to add to the already long to-do list. Do you know there are various ways to help others? I will tell you it is easier than you think.

Typically people think there are two ways to help others in need. The first involves the death or loss of another person or pet. The second involves homelessness due to any number of circumstances. These are incredible ways to help others who need assistance or comfort. Let’s dive into a few other ways we can deliver and engage in helping others.

Volunteer Your Time

Time is precious and can feel elusive when our schedules fill up. It is one of the things that can be manipulated with a little effort. Carving out even one hour to volunteer can make a huge impact on someone's life. Time equals connection. Being present and connecting with others is at a core level what the majority needs. Here are a few examples of places you can volunteer:

Community Center - Often with various ways you can chip in. Such as working with kids and teens, local special events that need help setting up, fundraisers, and holiday events.

Senior Facility - Elderly folks regularly need help getting around or to Dr. appointments. They also enjoy just having someone to listen to the stories they have to tell and the life lessons that come along with them.

VFW - Short for Veterans of Foreign Wars. The Veterans Affairs is a great way to help others that have given so much to all of us. Recreation, Transportation, Personal assistance, and Companionship just scratch the surface of volunteer opportunities.

ME TOO - The Me Too movement helps survivors of sexual violence to heal. Volunteer opportunities are available globally.

LGBTQIA+ - Organizations like HRC (Human Rights Campaign), PFLAG (Parents Friends & Family of Lesbians and Gays), GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) are great options. Do a quick search to see what is available in your local community.

This is just the tip of the iceberg to get you started thinking about the infinite ways you can help others in need. A quick search of the interwebs can lead you in every niche group's direction for you to help those in your community that need you. Volunteering your time, even if it is only one or two hours a week, can make a big impact on someone’s life.

Let’s Get Physical

It is safe to say a lot of us need to get physical. Working remotely has become the new norm and that leads to more sitting and less activity. The hardest part of getting back into the routine of moving our bodies is getting started. I don’t know about you but I have several of those friends who are absolute health nuts. They work out every single day, always post healthy recipes on social media, and find all the things to throw together for that smoothie or juice to drool over.

Insert the people that need help getting on that physical train and staying on course long enough to see some results to be motivated to make it a lifelong habit. Maybe this is your zone of genius. If it is, I am sure you know some friends or family that have mentioned how hard it is for them and how much they want to change that.

Be mindful and very intentional with the language you use when approaching someone about getting healthier and getting back to moving our bodies. Helping people in this area will always be something that is needed.

It can be as simple as sharing a workout tip you saw on Instagram from that good-looking trainer you follow. Maybe you discovered a new pre-workout supplement that you know your squad would like as much as you do. Did you find a new Bootcamp group while walking laps at the park? Help someone get as motivated as you are to get physical.

Inspire Others

Who doesn’t want to feel inspired? I know a lot of people that are finding ways to get re-inspired to keep doing what they love or are good at, myself included. Others are still trying to figure out what their area of expertise is or where their passions lie.

Helping people in need can also come in the form of inspiration. When you get inspired you get motivated, and when you get motivated it leads you to take inspired action. Action creates change and change leads to expansion. That my friends are where growth happens. Growth changes everything.

Inspiring others is not only easy but it feels really good when you see someone else succeed. The cool thing is inspiration comes from literally any and everywhere. The new personal development book you are reading stirs your soul. A social media influencer you found via multiple other accounts that post real talk conversation lives daily. Perhaps you just connected with a mentor or sponsor and their story resonates on a deep level personally and you are feeling inspired to share more of your own story.

I hope that maybe this inspires you in some way to reach out and help someone who needs it. There are so many possibilities with minimal expense to you as the helper and infinite impacts to the person receiving your help. There is no right or wrong way to help others in need. It is something you can fit into your schedule, no matter how hectic or full the calendar gets. Doing it virtually works too and brings even more opportunities for you to choose what you feel called to.

Start with a small task if you need to because even the little things can bring on big differences for people in need. Help is always needed if you slow down long enough to look and truly see those in and around your life. Even taking stock of the communities and groups you engage with online. How can you help others in need?