How to Boost Hope in 3 Simple Steps by Helping Others
Feeling heavy? Overwhelmed? Unmotivated? Stuck? Burned out on negative news?
You and me both!
At our core, we are people people. None of us can fully thrive without our connections with others.
And we’re all feeling the weight of being without our people these days.
Community, cultivating and maintaining relationships, is what life is all about after all. And while that’s not the easiest thing to do during a pandemic, it’s not impossible either.
So, let’s do something about this, eh?
I know we’re all stretched super thin right now. But I also know that each of us has 5 minutes to spare every day to boost hope in the lives of others (and ourselves).
The Power of One
Have you ever had someone pay for your coffee or surprise you with a card or gift card in the mail?
- How did it make you feel?
- How did you respond to their kindness?
Chances are it made you feel great, no matter what your circumstances were. I know that’s how I feel whenever someone surprises me by their kindness and generosity. It reminds me that I'm seen, I'm loved, and that it's safe to expect good things to happen (even in discouraging times).
And if you’ve ever been one of those people that have surprised others by your kindness and your generosity, you know how fun it is to do something kind for others too.
Serving others, helping others, it’s a win-win isn’t it?
What if we put the acronym H.O.P.E. to practice for the next 20 days? It stands for:
- H - Help
- O - One
- P - Person
- E - Everyday
We all need some genuine hope right now, so let’s take a tangible step to remind ourselves and others to keep hope alive.
For the next 20 days, I want to challenge us to spread H.O.P.E. by Helping One Person Everyday (an acronym I have Jen Gottlieb to thank for).
3 Steps to put H.O.P.E. in Action
While you can apply the H.O.P.E. principle to any aspect of life or work, let’s focus on how we can help others in our personal life.
STEP 1: When it comes to helping one person every day for the next 20 days, start by taking 10 minutes to make a list of 20 people you know. These 20 people should be people that you know personally. Not people that you’re just connected with on social media. But 20 people who you know in a personal way in real life. Like a neighbor, or someone you went to high school or college with, or someone from that one summer you lived in Chicago, or that one semester you lived abroad.
STEP 2: Next, take 10 minutes to think about each person and write down next to their name what you think might help them right now. Do they need encouragement? Help with their business? Something for their kids? Groceries? A mental break? The more personal you can make it, the better. If you’re having a hard time thinking of something, check out their social media feed and see if they’ve mentioned anything lately that would clue you into one way that you could help them right now.
STEP 3: Now, set a reminder in your phone for the next 20 days to take 5 minutes to Help One Person Everyday, or write it on your calendar to remind you.
Reaching Out to Others
Here are a few examples of ways you can help one person right now:
- Send them a card in the mail
- Call them on the phone
- Send them an encouraging text
- Write an online review of their business
- Invite them to join you (and your family) for a virtual meal
- Pray for them and share your prayer with them
- Buy a book that you think they’d like and drop it off on their doorstep
- Send them a gift basket
- Buy from their local shop
- Connect them with someone else that you think they should know
- Send them a gift card for their local grocery store
- Drop groceries off on their front step
- Have your kids draw a picture for them and drop it in the mail
For the next 20 days, will you commit with me to help one person every day?
Remember what it feels like when people surprise us? Let’s do that for others because if there was ever a time that more kindness and generosity were needed, it’s now. What if, for the next 20 days we commit to helping one other person every day? Will you join me?! We need each other.