Helping Others

Helping other people is usually equated with volunteering your time and resources to help other people less fortunate than you are. There are many reasons an individual may have for wanting to volunteer to help others. One reason may simply be to help others and some may want to beat boredom, overcome a loss they have sustained or to gain a new perspective on life. They may also want to learn about an activity or organization that interests them.

There is one all-volunteer organization, known as HOPE, which donates at least 90% of its funds to people in need. HOPE is a small, non-profit charity dedicated to changing lives in the developing world. They focus on projects that open doors for people so they can help themselves. They are helping others by giving a hand up not a handout.

Many people are just naturally helpful to others. However, there are circumstances that inhibit or enhance helpfulness. Victims are less likely to get help when many people are around. However, people are more likely to help others if they have just observed someone else modeling that specific helping behavior.

We live in a service economy. Many of us are employed by companies whose business is to serve people to make money. Therefore, we are helping others in order to help ourselves in making a living. In order to be successful in the business world, we need to identify the needs of the customers and then satisfy them. If you satisfy them, they will come back for more. This will increase your value to them and thus increase your rewards and satisfaction.

Remember the law of "sowing and reaping." That is, the fields of your life are sown with seeds of your actions and the harvest you will reap is determined by the seeds you have sown. So, spend your time helping others.