Today’s Brilliance from Laura Wellington

It is incredible to me how many fortunate people move through life confused, unhappy, and depressed. The “Woe is me!” attitude seems to run ramped in today’s society. So many people would rather give up the privilege of truly living for the comfort of complacency and dissatisfaction. It takes effort to truly live, little more than the effort it takes to remain depressed. Yet so many choose the latter. I find this to be quite sad.

When you watch a loved one fight for his life and then lose, that impression, and the wisdom that prevails, follows you for the rest of your days. That said, much of what I see amongst the “Woe is me!” crowd, I believe, arises from mere “self absorption.” Less significant calamity, we’ve predominantly become a practiced culture of “Me First” and “Me Only.”

Despite all of the social media everyone is engaging in everyday, the separateness that preoccupies our lives is significant and incredibly damaging in nature. We speak “at” others rather than “with” them. Our feelings for our fellow man run as deep as the next juicy tabloid story. We aren’t connecting as a community past the power cord we shove into the outlet each night. And so we are lost amongst a globe full of people.

It’s time we found each other and, in that, our own happiness. A good way to begin is to look outside ourselves and focus on the truly unfortunate. Start by helping them as there are a myriad of good reasons to do so. Beyond the obvious, that is where you will find yourself, your joy, and your “life.”

There is no shame in benefiting from contributing your heart, soul, intelligence, and efforts to another. I don’t beget contributing financial resources, either, especially if that is the extent of what you can offer for some very good reasons. However, extending your hand beyond the “financial” increases your own personal wealth and the wealth of others in ways money can’t buy.

My own unique journey has been a testament to this. At the worst possible moment of my life, it was the greater needs of others that gave me strength, purpose, reason, and direction. My future was found in the similarity of circumstances in which we shared. That understanding and connection delivered me the courage in which others could lean on and the words in which others could learn from.

Since then, the vehicle of hope that I created to help make the world a better place continues to travel the world and take on incredible variations, all of which marvel me. But what marvels me most of all is hearing how my example has inspired purposeful living and community outreach amongst so many. These people have found joy in “helping.” Their hearts, hands, lives, and futures are full. None of these individuals have time to waste being depressed or sad. They have too many things to do!

My profound advice…HELP OTHERS!