Tag Archives: helping yourself

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Making a Difference

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Everyone has the opportunity to be important in some way.  We can make a positive difference both in the way we view ourselves, others view us, and most importantly the way others view themselves.

I don’t mean this in a truly altruistic way because every human has a genetic leaning toward life being all about them.  Being the catalyst for positive and healthy change is good for everyone.  I view making a difference for others as not a totally unselfish act.

Volunteering

In a recent post, I highlighted the alternate perspectives in which work can be viewed.  That is, either an activity to earn a livelihood or just using your strength and facilities to do something.

Volunteering is work but not specifically undertaken to earn a livelihood but rather to improve the common good of all.  This probably categorizes it into leisure time or time-off when compared against working for a livelihood.

The focus of leisure time is for pleasure, we choose to do it, ergo volunteering can give us pleasure.

For Example

I recently joined the board of Camp Quality  Canada as a volunteer director.  I had been open to joining a non-profit board as a volunteer since the early 1990s but personal motivation and opportunity never matched up until recently.

The organization’s focus is on providing uplifting experiences for children with cancer and blood disorders, largely through summer camps.

Due to the pandemic, the camps have been held virtually this summer.   I had the opportunity last week to attend a virtual cabin session.  I was blown away.

The volunteer counselors’ dedication and desire to make a difference was crystal clear.   And they succeeded in spades.   The whole experience reinforced for me the huge value of working to make a change  for the better.

The benefits are clear, everyone wins.  The campers, counsellor’s and myself all had an uplifting experience and felt good about it.

 

 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

The whims of the people

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Over the last couple of years, electorates have been choosing strong conservative candidates like Rob Ford (Ontario), Donald Trump (US) and on their way to select Jason Kenny (Alberta).

It seems like a significant majority of the populous is seeking to focus on themselves.  Its all about me is becoming a mantra for political choice.

Brexit is just another example of this.  the aforementioned politicians and their ilk are full of rhetoric that demands actions and uses bullying tactics (threats) to reinforce their case.

Are we all that Simple

For me it is frustrating.  Do the majority believe these impossible pronouncements.   I will balance the budget.  I will stop terrorism.  I will end illegal immigration.

Surely feasibility should be part of the decision process for people deciding which politician to support.  There is ample evidence that this popular but impossible promises never get implemented.  Still masses of people blindly accept them, why is this?

Continuous Improvement

Governments can enhance the lives of their constituents but the focus should not be on promises to get them elected but rather practical actions that can both be implemented and will lead to positive change.

In today’s environment of wide open communication channels flooding the airwaves with any and all messages is easily done.  Misinformation, particularly in the political arena, is rampant.

For our own good, we need to raise our filters.  Everything should not be accepted at face value.  Ask, is this promise real or just attractive?

Whether the government is conservative, liberal or communist, as long as their policies can be implemented and improve everyone’s lives I support them.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Share the Weight

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Living without some accountabilities is not possible.  At a minimum, you are responsible for your own health and happiness.  Allowing these accountabilities to become a burden should be avoided.

The population of the earth is in the neighborhood of 7.7 billion people so the opportunity for sharing your personal burdens is very high.

Sharing

One way to ensuring your responsibilities are executed in a timely and high-quality way can be to participate,  or enjoy jointly with another or others.

The value of sharing is not always apparent and on occasion, we feel strongly about our personal accountabilities.   Other circumstances seem ideal for sharing but this tends to be a learned behavior (from childhood).

In later years sharing can be a way to ease the burden of our daily lives.   We can help others and they can help us.  In this way, stresses can be reduced and happiness increased.

Misanthrop

Two relatively common English words are from the greek “anthrop” meaning other people.  Through philanthropy, we can regularly demonstrate our love of others will a misanthrope not so much.

Whether philanthropy is your thing or you are more misanthropic sharing with others can be beneficial and is a great way to overcome personal difficulties.

You do not need to play well with others (a misanthrope typically does not) to realize the gains of interacting with others.  The act of sharing reduces your personal accountability and so the associated stress.

At the risk of being a tad cynical, it is important to remember sharing is a two-way street and while your main goal may be to benefit yourself, in doing so you could accidentally help others.