Helping Hand | Filed under General
Welcome to the beginning of a new week in our lives. I wish you all the best that life has to offer this weekâmay you be able to be present in each moment as it shows up in your life! Audrey Hepburn once said , ” Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm. . . As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One is for helping yourself,
the other for helping others. ”
How can you help someone else today? With an encouraging word? A smile at the right moment? Helping out with an important task? We’ve been given plenty of ways that we can help other human beings to experience life in a much more positive way.
How can you help yourself out today? By taking a few minutes to be alone in silence and center yourself? By giving yourself a small, loving gift? By taking care of some task that you’ve needed to take care of for a while?
Life is about helping, isn’t it? Usually, when we help ourselves, we help others because we’re much better prepared to be of use to others when our own yard has been cleaned. We can give more easily when our own needs have been met.
But so often we get so caught up in “making a living” that we don’t realize just how difficult we’re making it for ourselves to help others. We don’t realize how much time we’re devoting to work that makes profits for other people, but that doesn’t really add anything of true essence to someone else’s life, as a deep conversation or simply sharing time with them would. We get lost in getting, and lose touch with giving.
Two hands? Help yourself. Help someone else when you’re sure they need it and will appreciate it. This is the essence of life, isn’t it?
Share your thoughts with us here for there are many things we can do. Talk to me, I know you are not shy, please speak up we all would like to hear from you. This is not my place but our place. In what ways can you help others today? Whom can you help?
How can you help yourself today? What needs should be met?
What kinds of things keep you from helping?
What might you do to work around them?
If I can think of myself as loved, I can love and accept others.
If I see myself as forgiven, I can be gracious toward others.
If I see myself as powerful, I can do what I know is right.
If I see myself as full, I can give myself freely to others.
Kathy Peel
AMY GRANT lyrics - “Helping Hand”
www.OldieLyrics.com
(Tommy Sims, Amy Grant, Beverly Darnall)
[Chorus:]
Everybody needs a helping hand
Take a look at your fellow man
And tell me what can I do today
Everybody needs a helping out
If that ain’t what it’s all about
Tell me what
What can I do
What can I do today
We’ve all seen trouble from time to time
There is a mountain ahead
I’ve got no strength to climb, yeah
If you’re feeling that you’re strong
Reach out to me
I hope this journey won’t take long
But won’t you please
Have mercy
[Chorus]
I’m talking ’bout the soul all alone
Needing the daily bread
Someplace to lay his head, yeah
And I’m talking about the neighbor on your street
Won’t you look him in the eye
Take time to speak
That’s mercy
[Chorus]
Love one another
Sister and brother
Love is the only way
[Chorus]
So visit here and talk among yourselves until I run with my next post. It should be in the next few days after I return from the big city. It is no secret I am having a few problems with Missy and will be seeing a new physician tomorrow. It takes a lot to keep me down for Life Is Simply Good.
September 19th, 2005 at 10:24 am
I want you to know you’re still on the prayer lists and tomorrow as you meet with the new physician, you’ll be prayed over at the Daily Mass. (I may be Baptist but I cover all the bases…)
Thinking of you.
September 19th, 2005 at 10:33 am
You are an angel. May you find others like you on the trip to the big city.
September 19th, 2005 at 10:41 am
I can’t help anyone today including myself until I get a phone call that she is coming home…………
September 19th, 2005 at 11:59 am
I’m not much of a prayer person, but you have mine for the Doctor visit.
September 19th, 2005 at 12:50 pm
I stayed home from work (not feeling well) and slept for 5 more hours. I feel a lot better now I will start doing things for others, even if it is bringing a smile to their faces.
I hope the appt goes well, you know that you’re in my thoughts and prayers. *HUGS & LOVE*
September 19th, 2005 at 1:34 pm
If everyone would take one day and do for others this world would be such a better place.
I sincerely hope your new doctor can do something to help you feel at least a little better. If you ever need to visit with someone who’s been there and is still there, please don’t hesitate.
September 19th, 2005 at 2:30 pm
why can I help someone else but not myself? That’s my long time question. I try to help myself by trying to get the next activity in my agenda (schedule) done, I will try no matter if I have difficulty, I am doing this not for now, for the future that I want them to know who I am and what I can do.
September 19th, 2005 at 2:31 pm
but still I don’t know I help myself, or have ever helped myself, or never at all
September 19th, 2005 at 3:59 pm
Hi there~! Neat new layout! I love Amy Grant!!!
September 19th, 2005 at 4:34 pm
I had to learn the hard way that we can only pour so much from our cup before it runs dry. By taking the time to fill my own cup, I have more to give. I’m not helping anyone if I’m dipping in a dry well.
Good thoughts as always.
September 19th, 2005 at 5:16 pm
I just happened to stumble upon your blog and wanted to say how terrific it is. I feel more cheerful already!
September 19th, 2005 at 7:51 pm
Hey girl, I hope all goes well with your new Doc. Some times I think I need to find a new one also!
September 19th, 2005 at 8:46 pm
I LOVE your approach and your optimism. That is the bedrock of enthusiam and energy that makes things happen! Danny Thomas once said, “There are two kinds of people. Those who stop and help at a traffic accident and those who drive by slow so they can see the carnage”. I hope your new doctor will be excellent, someone who puts you at ease and is informative so you two can work as a team. My Best!
September 19th, 2005 at 9:18 pm
Thanks for your note back. I have added you to my list of must-reads and the link will appear on both my blog - Little Island - www.alittleisland.com and my online journal - Suburban Island at www.suburbanisland.us.
September 19th, 2005 at 10:52 pm
My week has started good. This makes it even better.
September 20th, 2005 at 12:46 am
“Lean on me……
When you’re not strong…
And I’ll be your friend…..
I’ll help you carry on…..
It wont’ be long….
And I’m gonna need….
Somebody to lean on…..
We all need somebody to lean on…”
My two hands are both sending you the biggest hug and so much love, my friend. Best of luck with your new doctor tomorrow, thank you for the email, and please let me know how it goes.
Love to you, peace to you
September 20th, 2005 at 5:04 am
Great thoughts. I didn’t sing though, since I can’t carry a tune in a bucket.
September 20th, 2005 at 6:11 am
As always my sweet friend your words are powerful and reach into my heart. Busy busy lives today and it is sad hardly anyone has time for anthing any more……..
I find it a very disconnected society we live in today.
Each day if we all did a kind deed for someone else the world
might just turn around with love and more love
and the greatest gift is people loving people
and when we love we are but one step from Heaven!
Blessings of love and peace
Jeanne ^j^
September 20th, 2005 at 8:37 am
You are in our thoughts and prayers.
September 20th, 2005 at 11:26 am
Prayer is usually my last means to help. I am ashamed to admit it, but I don’t pray every day like I should. That doesn’t mean I’m hard-hearted, though. I’m always open to helping out when I can. It’s just more attuned with physical labor, or sometimes money, than it is to prayer.
Winthrop
September 20th, 2005 at 1:05 pm
You are in my prayers as well.
September 20th, 2005 at 1:27 pm
I’m kind gettin’ to like the concept of spoiling myself, even though it was hard to learn. Best of wishes to you with your doctor visit.
September 20th, 2005 at 4:02 pm
Good post.
How can I help myself today. I think its to late for me today after eating those suicide wings last night. Maybe I could help myself next week by NOT eating suicide wings.
I have learned important things about helping others in my life. Make sure you are helping someone for the right reasons and what you are doing won’t get you into trouble. I once helped someone with money that only ended up in her death due to drugs.
I will tell you a story that happened last night in fact.
I don’t give money to pan handlers on the street as a rule. Lets face it for one there are to many of them and before you know it I would be on the street begging to get some of it back. Not to mention one told me once that they make $100 a day so screw that noise.
Last night as I was having a smoke outside of the bar when a man came up to me and said “hi, I am not a begger but I need $1.60. I have walked from Gatineau and I have no money for the bus.” That was about 10 miles from where i was.
My response was No. It’s a automatic response that has become part of my daily routine.
He thanked me and walked off.
As he was walking away I took a close look at him and I could see how tired he was on his legs. His clothes were clean and his back pack heavy.
“Wait” I said to him and walked to him rather than him having to walk back to me.
I took out 5 bucks in change and gave it to him. He thanked me and walked away.
I don’t mind helping people when they need it but some people have made asking for help an occupation which I won’t fund.
September 20th, 2005 at 4:24 pm
Victoria, for some reason I thought your blog was at blogger and couldn’t figure out why my link wasn’t working. Imagine my delight when I yahoo’d you and found you here! I’m beside myself with joy that I finally located the right address. Hugs to you as you deal with your “friend”. You’re a tough cookie. But, do let me know if there’s any way I can help you.
Walker, my husband is not unlike yourself. His golden rule is: if they’re hungry, give them food, not money. If they’re just asking for cash, no way. We have run into so many people who are just like the people you described.
I, on the other hand, am completely opposite. I will help others just because they asked. Sometimes I get taken advantage of. I suppose I let that happen because, after all, I’m responsible for my actions, not theirs. Is this a careless view of the situation?
September 20th, 2005 at 7:35 pm
I love the new header and look - you take care!
September 21st, 2005 at 12:17 am
I heart you sweetie. You always know exactly what I’ve been struggling with. Yes, I know but it’s encouraging someone along their path. I’ll call first thing tomorrow. Hope things go well.
HUGS
September 21st, 2005 at 12:32 pm
I love that song and I am thinking about you today!
September 21st, 2005 at 12:52 pm
Best of luck in the big city, darling. Hope all goes well for you.
September 21st, 2005 at 3:25 pm
Howdy, FTS sent me. This was such a wonderful post, thank you for posting it.