Be a Gift to Others

          As human beings, one of our basic needs is to be in contact with others. Life is a give and take reality. I always believe in the saying that " No man is an island". Life is a reciprocal relationship in which we invest in ourselves and we acknowledge the presence of the other person. Thus in relation to this, we can ask ourselves "How could we, in our own way, be gifts to others?" 

         Some of the ways that we can realise this is through the following: practicing empathy, listening actively, showing kindness and generosity, offering encouragement and support, sharing knowledge and skills, being realiable and trustworthy.

          On practicing empathy, learn to put yourself in the other person's shoes. By so doing, this allows you to understand his perspectives, experiences and feelings. Aside from this, also learn how to extend genuine concern and compassion to his well being.  On listening actively, assimilate to be free from any bias and never put judgment on the other person. When situation allows you, consciously give support and validation while keeping away from suggesting any solution. 

imagecredit: Image by Djordje Vezilic from Pixabay

         On showing kindess and generosity, keep yourself away from making any judgment and bias even if you are tempted to do so. Being generous of your time is such an honourly act that it results a smile on him. Just complimenting someone of a job well done could be a simple thing but for the other person, it may be a big deal. On the other hand, on times of difficulties, master the art of extending affirmation and words of relief. 

          Meanwhile, being able to share your knowledge and skills could result to being an invaluable thing to others. Becoming a companion to other's journey results positively since it is a relief to realise that we have a shoulder to lean on to make the load lighter. 

                                                                            

Kindness is the Sweetest Form of Revenge

          One precious activity when time is at my side is to listen to stories about people. And recently I had the pleasure of hearing the sharing of a friend. Her story's gist is that she was unlucky to have people in her life who were unsupportive of her goals and dreams. She doesn't feel accepted and welcomed in their lives.  However, instead of doing the exact negative thing, what she manifested to them was humility and kindness. 

Imagecredit:https://pixabay.com/photos/portsmouth-england-old-town-uk-713991/

          Yes, the finest form of revenge is at times being better---killing them with kindness, success and a smile. In her case, nothing frustrates her haters more than seeing her thrive. It clearly sounds like she might be dealing with some resentful and jealous people. Its logical to feel that sometimes but it can also be an opportunity to reflect- why does her success or even just herself bothers them. However, instead of being down and frustrated, she utilized it as a driving force to level up in her own way. 

          Furthermore, frustration can be a motivation for success. Personally, I also believe on that frustration, when channeled positively, can be a powerful driving force. It can push people to work harder, prove themselves, and refine their gifts. Many successful people, including my friend, have used setbacks, criticism or even jealousy as energy to arrive new heights. The key is turning that negative energy such as jealosy to motivation and action instead of letting it consume you. 

P.S.- Heaps of thanks to my friend, Theresa, for trusting me to hear her story.