`It takes thirty days to make or break a habit. At least, that’s what the “experts” say. I say that thirty days looks pretty doable. It isn’t as overwhelming as say….a year…might be. Thirty days gives us something that we can sink our teeth into especially if we are doing the just get through today thing. We might be giving up smoking or establishing an exercise program or almost anything that requires the one day at a time approach. One day at a time multiplied by thirty equals habit broken or established. Hurray!
I decided some years ago that I wanted to develop a habit of service to others. You know…the good old “do unto others” kind of stuff. After thinking about it for awhile I decided that if I did a “good deed” every day for thirty days that maybe it would establish a life long habit. It certainly couldn’t hurt.
The biggest problem I had was one of people access. I was a young mother with several young children living on a farm on a dirt road on the outskirts of town. I didn’t get out much and had few neighbors. Was it even going to be possible? I didn’t know but I wasn’t going to let that stop me.
I started on the first day of May. My first act of service was homemade cookies placed in the mailbox for our rural postman. The next day I sent an anonymous thank you card to someone from church. The following day I left a loaf of bread on a neighbor’s doorstep……etc. etc. The thirty days was so much fun I just kept going.
I realized that it really didn’t take a huge effort to make someone’s day. Sometimes just giving someone my place in the grocery line or a big smile or hello or a hug did it. Baked goods are always appreciated. Calling someone you haven’t seen for awhile, snail mailing cards or notes, letting a person know that you noticed a kind thing that they did, entertaining a baby while mom puts the bags in the car, flowers from the garden, a yard sale addition to someone’s collection, a compliment or passing on something nice you heard, holding the door open, the list of small kindnesses is endless. And so are the benefits.
Because, you see, not only do you bless the lives of those you help, it is impossible to do something nice for someone and not feel good yourself. Kahlil Gibran said, “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
Carrie Chapman Catt said, “Service… rewards the worker with more real happiness and satisfaction than any other venture of life.” And the scriptures say, “And behold I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when you are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”
There was one more important lesson I learned about service to others. There can’t be a giver if there is no receiver. I had always been a little uncomfortable when I was on the receiving end of service but now I realize that gracious receiving of an act of service is vital.
So I’m thinking…what if everyone reading this did a kind act of service everyday for the next month? Be creative. Be prayerful. Be aware of the needs all around you. Stop being scared and just “do it”. What a ripple that would cause. That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?
I decided some years ago that I wanted to develop a habit of service to others. You know…the good old “do unto others” kind of stuff. After thinking about it for awhile I decided that if I did a “good deed” every day for thirty days that maybe it would establish a life long habit. It certainly couldn’t hurt.
The biggest problem I had was one of people access. I was a young mother with several young children living on a farm on a dirt road on the outskirts of town. I didn’t get out much and had few neighbors. Was it even going to be possible? I didn’t know but I wasn’t going to let that stop me.
I started on the first day of May. My first act of service was homemade cookies placed in the mailbox for our rural postman. The next day I sent an anonymous thank you card to someone from church. The following day I left a loaf of bread on a neighbor’s doorstep……etc. etc. The thirty days was so much fun I just kept going.
I realized that it really didn’t take a huge effort to make someone’s day. Sometimes just giving someone my place in the grocery line or a big smile or hello or a hug did it. Baked goods are always appreciated. Calling someone you haven’t seen for awhile, snail mailing cards or notes, letting a person know that you noticed a kind thing that they did, entertaining a baby while mom puts the bags in the car, flowers from the garden, a yard sale addition to someone’s collection, a compliment or passing on something nice you heard, holding the door open, the list of small kindnesses is endless. And so are the benefits.
Because, you see, not only do you bless the lives of those you help, it is impossible to do something nice for someone and not feel good yourself. Kahlil Gibran said, “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
Carrie Chapman Catt said, “Service… rewards the worker with more real happiness and satisfaction than any other venture of life.” And the scriptures say, “And behold I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when you are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”
There was one more important lesson I learned about service to others. There can’t be a giver if there is no receiver. I had always been a little uncomfortable when I was on the receiving end of service but now I realize that gracious receiving of an act of service is vital.
So I’m thinking…what if everyone reading this did a kind act of service everyday for the next month? Be creative. Be prayerful. Be aware of the needs all around you. Stop being scared and just “do it”. What a ripple that would cause. That’s the view from my side of the street, what’s yours?
No comments:
Post a Comment