“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill
These words spoken by Churchill have never rung truer to me than they do now. The past fifteen years have been a time of immense personal growth and development for me. I’ve received so much love, support, and guidance and I’ve been given the wonderful opportunity to give back to others to return the favor. Whether through videos, blog posts, giving food, coaching, seminars, or food packing, I can tell you that nothing comes close to the overwhelming feelings of gratitude and bliss that wash over you after helping another without expecting anything in return. We tend to get caught up in our own lives and forget how good we actually have it. Are you aware that over 65% of the planet, that’s around 4.8 BILLION people, lives on less than $2.50 a day? Most people spend three times as much on their morning coffee! Millions die each day of dehydration, starvation, violence, and disease while we in the 1st world countries worry about rush hour traffic, getting a poor grade on a piece of paper, having low instagram followers, and heaven-forbid getting unfriended on Facebook!
You are living somebody’s dream life!
Do you realize that? All of the problems and concerns you have in life would gladly be taken on in a heartbeat by billions of people to have a chance at your lifestyle. Now please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. I’m not discounting your concerns. They’re important to you. I get that. I’m just saying have some perspective. Realize how good you actually have it. The poorest person in the United States lives like a king compared to people in some other countries.
The holiday season has mostly come to an end, and after having so many beautiful moments with family and friends, delicious meals, warm homes, and receiving wonderful gifts, I remember that so many people are denied what the majority of us take for granted. This post isn’t meant to be a guilt trip, it’s merely a reminder of reality.
So what can we do about it? First and foremost: Realize that you have more than enough! Most people spend their life accumulating more and more stuff thinking that eventually they will become happy. As Will Smith said:
“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”
When they get that new car, that job promotion, or when the new home is finished, THEN they will finally be happy. THAT’S NOT HOW HAPPINESS WORKS. Happiness is a state of mind. A choice you make moment to moment on what to focus on. Regardless of what you’re going through understand that you have plenty to be thankful for in your life. Instead of becoming upset that your car isn’t the newest model, why not be happy that you have a car to begin with? Focus on what you have, instead of what’s missing and your life will begin to turn around instantly. Happiness means being at peace with who you are, to truly love and accept your life as it is. Now you can still want more, but fully appreciate what you currently have before thinking of more. Gratitude is the key to a wonderful life.
“It’s not happy people who are thankful. It is thankful people who are happy.”
The next thing you can do is brainstorm ways that you and your loved ones can GIVE BACK to your community or the world. You can donate money to feed people, clothe people, give medical aid, and so much more. Have clothes you don’t wear anymore or that don’t fit? Donate them to help people who are lacking keep warm or stay cool. Old toys lying around the house? Why not brighten a child’s day who has so little in life? I’ve seen many people cook food and distribute to the homeless personally which I found truly touching. You can also give your time. I recently had the privilege of volunteering at a food packing organization called Feed My Starving Children and the experience was incredible. There were about 40 people in the room and in 2 hours we assembled and packed enough food to feed 102 children for a year. Making that big of an impact in just 2 hours truly touched my heart. Do you have 1-2 hours a month to give back? We all do.
Of course I haven’t touched on all the ways you can give back. You have unique talents and skills that you can use to improve other people’s lives. Be creative and have fun with it! Remember:
The more you give, the more you get.
You will feel so good after helping someone who truly needs it that you’ll feel like you should be paying them! Those who have done it know what I’m talking about. Those who are about to start get ready for a truly life-changing experience.
I’d like to leave you with a personal experience of mine that truly touched my heart:
I was going for a walk around my apartment complex not too long ago and right as I walked by the dumpsters I saw a hooded man searching for something. I didn’t think twice about it and kept walking. I normally do a few laps around the complex so on my second lap as I passed the dumpster there he was again this time just standing there. This time I felt slightly uncomfortable just because you never know what can happen and it was late. On my next lap I noticed he was lying down on the floor in front of a staircase and his clothes were covered in dirt. I started to wonder if maybe he was homeless and needed some help. At this point my imagination took over and I made up an entire story about who this man was, what his life was like, and what I might be able to do for him. I pictured it clearly. I’d ask what his name was and he’d say “Anthony.” I don’t know why “Anthony,” it just came to me in the moment. Then I’d sit and we’d have a conversation and get to know each other. I was nearing the end of my current lap and I told myself I would approach this man and see if he needed help on my next go around. However, when I passed by the staircase he was no where to be found. I normally stop at this point but something told me to give it one more lap in case he was possibly looking in other dumpsters. As I walked I found no sight of this man and upon getting back to my apartment, I felt I should check the stairs one final time. To my delight there he was lying there. I had a single $20 bill in my wallet that had been sitting there for months and I knew he needed it way more than I did. I approached him unsure what to expect. “Excuse me sir” I said. He shot up and looked at me with piercing eyes that conveyed both unease and hope. I could tell he’d been through a lot. “I saw you earlier and just wanted to help. This is for you (handing him the money).” His eyes swelled as he reached out. He motioned to shake my hand. As I reached my hand out I said “what’s your name sir?”
He replied “Anthony.”
In that moment it was as if a shock went through my entire body. How could that be his name? Out of all the people in the state, out of all the homeless people in my county (and there are a lot of them), the one man I run into on this particular evening has the name that I imagined he would only minutes before? As I regained my composure he told me about his wife and his life. After we spoke for a bit he asked if I had any water? I told him I’d be right back and ran to my apartment. I returned with food and water and his look of surprise told me he didn’t think I’d return. We spoke for a bit. He said “God bless You,” and as I walked away he said “I bet you feel pretty good right now to help someone.” I said “I do sir, but that’s not why I did it. We’re all going through something and we need to help each other out. If you ever get the chance please help someone in need. Have a great night and be safe.” I walked away and once I was far enough I looked back and watched him enjoying the food and water with a smile on his face. That’s the last time I saw Anthony.
In that moment I felt completely at peace and infinitely grateful for my life in its entirety (perceived problems and all). I tell you this story simply to bring awareness to this fact: you never know how one act of kindness can impact a life. That man may go on to influence many people all because some guy asked the question “how can I help?” I encourage you to ask this question as often as possible. Something to think about my friends. I love you and wish you an amazing 2017!
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said:
“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, that is to have succeeded.”
All my love,
Your Coach – Dr. Jamil
P.S. Whenever you’re ready to continue your transformation, here are a couple of ways I can help you create the life you dream of:
Download a FREE copy of my book ‘20 Steps To Your Next Breakthrough” by CLICKING HERE. This book will give you the mindsets and strategies needed to dramatically increase your momemtum towards your goals and dreams. You can also get the Audiobook version by CLICKING HERE.
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