Why Wait For A Crisis To Give?

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.--Mohammed Ali

There is so much trouble in the world... What difference can one person make?

It may seem easier to just bury our heads in the ground and not engage, not get involved, not care.

Sometimes, we are dealing with our own troubles, and feel that we don't have the resources to help one another. Or simply, we just don't know what to do.

Well, our rent is long overdue.

The time is now for us to do something, anything in service of another, because we all have a part to play in the prosperity of our country, we all have something to give of ourselves, and we all have something to gain. It feels good to know you contributed positively to another's life, to their happiness, to their survival. It gives us a sense of purpose. We have been blessed with and have fought hard for so many of our rights and privileges, that we need to remember that we also have responsibilities, some of which are to each other.

I think back to Hurricane Katrina and how the country was shocked into action. "How can this happen in our own country, in our own backyard," we asked. "How can we treat our own citizens this way?" This was an example of how a government is only as good as its people and how sometimes the public needs to set the example.

Some sent money; others sent goods; some opened their homes; everyone opened their hearts. People came together for those who lost everything and needed an embrace, a helping hand and a warm heart.

We came together in a time of crisis, but why must we wait for a disaster to hit before we help one another? People need help now. For many, their lives are in crisis. You don't have to be a gazillionaire to make a difference. The gift of your time is just as valuable as any check. There are many worthy causes locally and nationally to be a part of that would really appreciate your sweat equity. But there's other ways to be of service. Maybe you have skills or talents that you can use in a unique way to help others.

Whatever it is, we must all do our part, because if we each move individually towards the collective good, a difference we will make indeed.

If you're not already involved with a cause or service project, here are some links that can help you get started: http://www.serve.gov or http://www.causecast.org.

Comments

[jeniferdaniels]

just telling to my husband about this tonight at dinner...we have all the tools necessary to change the world - why aren't we using them

[nemain]

I have a suggestion to you folks who are pro volunteer. Start a rally in front of the white house a million strong to make volunteer work paid jobs and pro bono work should be for all big corporations. Why are we still ok with allowing the earth and all of its occupants to suffer while paying CEO's and Wall Street, insurance co.'s, et al top dollar? The day that one is more important than the other is the day we can put volunteerism to rest and pay people for doing the right thing. Enough with asking people to do things for free, lets put them to work in something they enjoy and you will see billions knocking down the doors. Cubicle or freedom of the heart to do what feels good? Which would you choose? How far will you go? I would drive to washington in a heartbeat if someone started such a rally. Cmon people.

[cktirumalai]

Giving, the open hand, can take many forms, money being the most obvious. There are people who enhance life simply by being what they are, in whose presence others feel a surge of new energy, whose conversation is never a one-way monologue, who bring out new possibilities in others. Ali gave through his boxing but also in conversation quick as lightning and rising into poetry.