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Reaching out a helping hand
“Our greatest fulfillment lies in giving ourselves to others.”
- Henri Nouwen
Think about that feeling you get after helping someone out. It’s like a little boost that can make us feel like we are making a positive difference for others. It does not even need to be something big. Maybe we were there to talk with a friend who needed some comfort. Or maybe we helped a neighbor out with some small task. Science tells us helping others is good for us in so many ways. With all of these benefits we receive, it makes sense to make more of an effort to reach out to those in need.
I don’t mean to say that in a “What’s in it for me?” sort of way. I look at it as more of a win-win situation for everyone involved. We are able to help someone in need and we get a little mental boost from doing a good deed. It should make us want to do it more often, but we also have our own commitments and needs to attend to. Sometimes we just don’t have the capacity or bandwidth to help out as much as we would like to. At the same time, I sometimes hesitate to reach out to others because I feel like they may not want my help or feel like they need any help.
However, if I feel like someone’s life is in danger or they are at risk of harming themselves, I will make more of an effort to reach out. I lost a friend to alcoholism five years ago and…
