I came across a quote a couple of months ago. I'm not sure who said it or where it came from, but it has been ringing through my head every morning when I wake up and throughout my day ever since. I don’t remember the exact words, but the meaning holds strong. It was somewhere along the lines of “be a blessing to those around you.”
This quote struck me, because we so often get wrapped up in our own lives, we forget those around us have problems and ambitions, too. We focus so much throughout our days on our own progression towards our goals and worry about how we feel personally. When we lay in bed at night and say our prayers, we will frequently be appreciative for our blessings, whether that is finally getting that grade, you’ve been working for, or grateful for your family, but how many times are we concerned about being a blessing for other people when we are counting our won blessings? We go through life with many struggles to overcome, maybe work is tough, or our professors are tripping and making college living hell at times, but everyone around you has a different battle that they are facing. We receive blessings in the form of those around us without thinking about it, whether it is a friend asking you to go out with them, or just being there for you. Sometimes these blessings are in the form of strangers, and we don’t even see it.
Attitude is a contagious thing, so even if you are doing it subconsciously you are affecting those around you. Don’t let what had you feeling down drag others down in his or her life, be able to walk around with a sense of joy and let your light shine and bring others up. Be a blessing and spread positive vibes, even when you may not feel like it. Be the one to open a door and smile, or when you see someone struggle and drop all their papers in the hall help pick them up, even if it doesn’t benefit you directly. If I had a dollar for every time I heard the response “why should I do that what is in it for me?” I would probably have enough money that I wouldn’t be writing these articles and would be living off the coast of Tropical Island sipping a piña colada with island women, but that’s not the point; the point is that sense of thinking is completely selfish. What is in it for me? Nothing needs to be in it for you, if it could help benefit another person, then you should do it, point blank. I was listening to a celebrity sports analysis (I’ll leave out names) talk to a room full of students, and he brought up the point of donating loose change to homeless men.
He stood there and told the room full of students latching onto every word he was saying that they should not give for benefiting the homeless man, but because it will clear their conscience and make them feel better about themselves. This thought process is completely egocentric in my mind. You should not do stuff for other people for your own selfish ambitions or to make yourself feel or look good. You should help others to bless them and make their lives simpler. If everyone took a break from focusing on making their own lives easier and made a conscious effort to be a blessing to the people around them and make other’s lives easier, this world would be in much better shape.
