Posts from — January 2009

“A giving person sees a glass of water and starts looking for someone who might be thirsty.” ~ G. Donald Gale.

Turn on any news channel and you will find an abundance of anchor chatter about stories on the economy. From the daily job loss grand totals, to the list of companies in your backyard that are laying off employees, you don’t have to look far for reminders that we are living in historic tough times and we may need to brace for more. Most recently, a former Surgeon General was on a national news network explaining how the increase in suicides is linked to growing cases of economy-related depression.

Logically, when a person is financially struggling or has recently lost a job, etc. the last thing on their mind is looking for how they can help the next person out. But surprisingly, during times of our worst personal challenges, this is actually the best time to think of giving to others. I challenge you to find a photo anywhere of the Dalai Lama where he isn’t smiling. Everyone knows the Dalai Lama is inarguably the leader of the unselfish and peaceful kind, but surely, this guy has got to have bills and sources of stress like everyone else. What gives? Well, In a recently released book called  ‘Why Good Things Happen to Good People: The Exciting New Research that Proves the Link Between Doing Good and Living a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life‘, authors Stephen Post and Jill Neimark explore facts that support, among other things, the scientific health and related benefits of helping others…even in ’your‘ time of need.

In the book, the authors discuss a 50-year research study that proves how when we give of ourselves, life satisfaction, self-realization and physical health is significantly improved. In addition, depression is reduced and overall well-being and good fortune are increased. That’s right, I said ‘good fortune’. Will your phone start ringing off the hook for new jobs as soon as you volunteer at your local shelter? Probably not. But you will have an edge on your mental balance vs. others in your same situation.

Although, it’s not a conscious or intentional effort on the part of most people, we all in some way tie our sense of pride, value, and personal validation to our professional and financial state of affairs. Many people who have recently found themselves a casualty of today’s recession have expressed feeling like they have let themselves and/or their families down. This is an unfortunate crystalization of the fact that in addition to the tangible effects of our economy, there are severe emotional byproducts as well. As an alternative to psychological navigation through these negative thoughts, why not consider using this time to redifine your sense of worth, value and validation. I’m not saying stop sending out your resume’ or to tell your mortgage company to take a hike, I’m just saying why not use this time to take stock of who you really are and evaluating what has previously been your source for happiness and emotional well being. If you have less than 2 things on that list that are self-less in nature or non-materialistic, this may be the perfect time for you to explore helping others as a resource to get the positive mental boost that will certainly help you during this current ecomomic madness. The sense of happiness you will receive from helping others can serve as an invaluable means of built in self-support. And who knows, the ‘good fortune’ may come in karma-like form when you least expect it.

Here are a few additional tips to re-calibrate your thoughts during these tough times:

1. Lay off the tube. Try hitting a bookstore on the weekend or watching a positive movie on your downtime vs. catching up on the news.
2. Check out CNN.com’s section Focus On Giving . It has a plethora of uplifting stories about people helping others and you may get an inspiring idea.
3. Take Giving baby steps. You dont need to rescue anyone from a fire to get the emotional benefits of giving. You can start by simply helping someone carry their groceries in a parking lot or deciding to open doors for other people for an entire day.  
4. Selective listening. Take a break or minimize conversations with friends and family who are swimming in negativity about the current economic times.

 

Good luck!