Well lookie here! Is it really a third post in the attempt of this So, for the third week in Christine's "Motivational Mondays" challenge (which really isn't so much a challenge in her book, but it is in my execution of it lol!), we have this quote:
"An individual has not started living until he can rise
above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns
to the broader concerns of all humanity."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
And her question:
What are you going to do this week to serve humanity?
My answer instead, which I'll give as I attempt to get that Oldies song reference out of my head, is to give humanity - well, at least that itty-bitty segment of it that at some point might happen to stumble across my words and have the desire and ability to read them - a few ideas of things it and its members might do in answering this question, themselves. Some, even taken from personal experience (might as well go with what you know, right?)
There are many forms of humanity-serving efforts out there, and nearly all have their merits. Joking and Psych thrillers aside, there are likely as many ways to serve humanity as there are humans to be served. There might be a series of steps, to begin the process, for example:
~ Figure out whom you want to serve.
~ Figure out a need they have.
~ Brainstorm ways that need could be met.
~ Take the brain storm to the next level, by answering how one would go about meeting the need, in the ways you find.
~ Gather supplies, including their permission, information, and other people if needed, as you begin to bring the plan together.
~ Smile. A lot. Because this really is worth doing, and you should feel free to find joy in it! (Sorry folks, but let's be honest, here; humans do stuff because it gets their needs met...even the most altruistic among us gets something they need, even if it's just the *warm-fuzzies* they feel, from everything they do, so we might as well enjoy the process of serving humanity, right?)
~ Smile some more, just for making it through that parenthetical insert, and especially if you have any idea what that means, because you may have just caught me using big words incorrectly, which I've done occasionally, just for fun ...and by mistake. Did I get lost in my list again? Try not to get lost in yours, because that won't serve humanity any more than this item in this list has.
~ Get busy.
So what ideas could spark your brainstorm? I would suggest starting relatively small. As paraphrased from Mother Teresa, "Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." Given that these wise words happened to come from an admonition of one of the most extraordinarily loving and giving human beings ever to walk the earth, I like to think they have some merit, especially since I agree with them!
Look around you. Who is the person nearest you, either in proximity, or in relationship (which might be the same)? What could you do to serve them, in a new, unique way? How about others you know, or meet? Look around you, wherever you go, and notice what you can about what kinds of things you could do to help make life a little better/easier for each person you meet. Don't even worry about actually doing anything, yet. Just begin to develop awareness... because awareness is actually the first step. You can't figure out what you haven't noticed.
~ Perhaps you happen to notice the lady in the checkout line with the crying baby in her arms, the tantrum passing as a toddler in the cart, and the older kids making havoc of the line's product content.
~ Maybe you see the checker, hair falling out of a pony tail that was clearly put up hours ago, looking worn out and ornery as she rings up your items, or the bag boy with the strip of green hair, who doesn't meet your eyes nor say a word as he bags your stuff improperly, which you know will mean something will be mashed or smashed when you get home.
~ It could be the verbal parent at the PTA meeting, getting the group into a heated debate over something silly, that sends the meeting entirely off-course.
~ Might be you notice how cold (or hot) it has been outside, and see people around - working, traveling or homeless - who are miserable out in it.
~ There might be a child or children who stand(s) out for some reason, and as we know, children don't like to just stand out. Nobody does.
Get the idea? Just look around, see what you see, think about it, and decide what to do about it. Get informed about what options are out there, and what resources you can find - including the creativity of others around you, who might know resources you hadn't thought to consider.
Of course, I'm also all for looking around for opportunities for volunteer work! In fact, calling around and looking at what service and volunteer opportunities are available, might allow you to gather up what you find into a resource for others looking to make a difference somewhere! Hospitals, libraries, schools, nursing facilities, national and local charities, and other such organizations are great places to start, as they often know of lesser-known opportunities others might miss!
So in answer to the question, "What are you going to do this week to serve humanity?" I suppose I would best suggest the reply, "Get started."
Better days ahead, my friends.
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