Your positive imprint on mankind
Our perspective of the world and all its needs can be very humbling. Many times we witness the need but can’t do much about it.
The earthquakes in Nepal and the world-wide response to that tragedy is startling and heart-warming at the same time. The massively horrible weather in parts of the United States with its past winter snow and torrential downpours – and the recent spring incursion of hurricanes and tornadoes – almost paralyzes the remainder of us because we have so little to offer in response, other than a monetary donation to a charitable response organization.
Is that really the case? Do we feel that because we can’t offer hands-on assistance in extremely serious and urgent circumstances as outlined above, we have nothing at all to offer a very exigent world?
That is not the case. As a matter of fact, day in and day out we have countless occasions in which we can offer comfort and assistance to those in need. This quote by Sally Koch, a humanitarian in her own right, sums it up beautifully:
Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us daily.
You don’t have to look far to find someone who could use something you have to offer. Maybe your assistance is something as simple as a smile or a kind word. Perhaps you’re able to pay for the groceries of someone in front of you at a grocery check-out line, or you can help a neighbor who’s going through a difficult time. Opportunities to help others are everywhere if we open our eyes and heart to see them.
I, for one, have made a commitment to make a difference in someone’s life today, tomorrow, and the next day. That individual personal assistance I provide is just as valuable as that which is offered on a greater scale worldwide.
Living: the ultimate team sport 
April 4, 2022 at 8:02 am
[…] I’ve written about this topic before: Positive community activism; Spineless inaction: the bystander effect; Your positive imprint on mankind. […]
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December 18, 2015 at 1:36 pm
[…] also: Your positive imprint on mankind, Do little rathe than nothing, Valuable acts of kindness, Positive community […]
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August 5, 2015 at 10:21 am
[…] do we wait until we can do something grandiose to exert a positive imprint on mankind? Why do we ignore the multitude of small opportunities presented to us in which we can impact a […]
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June 23, 2015 at 12:00 pm
[…] instrument for good, rather than evil? If you aspire to make an impact on the world, what kind of imprint are you leaving? Are you waiting for the right time to do something grandiose to benefit mankind, or are you doing […]
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May 27, 2015 at 11:45 am
[…] I’ve written about this topic before: Positive community activism; Spineless inaction: the bystander effect; Your positive imprint on mankind. […]
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May 13, 2015 at 11:02 am
What a wonderful post and the perfect quote. Thank you, Irene.
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May 13, 2015 at 1:35 pm
Jill, I also think about what happens when we don’t make an offer of compassion. It may seem over-the-top to say that my NOT smiling at someone, or NOT being kind to someone, may ruin that person’s day, but do we really want to risk it?
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