Lend a helping hand
Life is unpredictable with its ups and downs. There’s never a dull moment. With the crisis at a plateau and our learned behaviour on the new way of life, we are getting through this pandemic stronger. Our fear element has calmed down somewhat, but the element of sadness has heightened too. Bad news of death and sickness more rife and riddled than that of joyous occasions like weddings and births. Understanding how to cope during affliction and exposure may be our only saving grace. We have been taking a strain and often are overburdened with grief. At this time, we need to reach out and connect with friends, neighbours, colleagues, family and community organisations. With socializing cautiously allowed, we need to still be aware of the lurking infection, but also allow ourselves to partake in interactions for our personal well being. Merely picking the phone or having virtual meetings does not satisfy our need for comfort. As social beings living in community, we miss our outings and the presence of our people. It is now that we should realize our constraints and assess our risks and then decide if it’s safe for us to venture out.
As individuals, we perceive the world through our five senses viz. See, touch, hear, taste and smell. These sensations create thoughts and feelings which lead our behaviour. It is in the subtle nuances of how we are communicating that satisfies our need for connection. Sitting across the table from a friend, seeing the face of a family member or being in the banter and surrounding of children’s laughter is exactly what we may need to lift our spirits and change our mood. To break out of isolation and what felt like a long hibernation from the world has given most a sense of liberation. A gasp of fresh air to the body. Ofcourse, protecting our mortality is second nature, but it is imperative not to allow fear to entrap us. We should slowly try to rebuild and connect. To thrive and not just survive. There is a direct influence of our mental functionality to our physical well-being. Loneliness, boredom and a sense of NO purpose can lead to an untimely demise of the “living spirit”.
Creating a purpose can be reinvented and may include things out of our ordinary. We can find it buying groceries for the aged or sick, volunteering our time to a charity organisations or engaging in community efforts. If we spend even just an hour a day towards the service of others, those who are underprivileged, alone or ill, it is an hour spent in SELFLESSNESS. There are categorically two types of people in this world, ie. Givers and Takers. It is indeed a special and privileged state to be in as a Giver. To realize if one is in this state is quite simple. It starts with the question, Do I have anything to be grateful for?
“The Giver of gifts finds as much contentment in Giving as the one who is Receiving.” The gift can be Time, Motivation or just simply Love. Feel the emotion of Giving back by reminiscing that feeling of the last time you gave someone a gift and they liked it!
*Shahista Ismail Thokan is a renowned Workshop Facilitator & Transformational Coach
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