Helping others helps us too

By Randy Hicks, President of Georgia Family Council

When I was in my 20s and living in Southern California, I helped lead a group of high school and college kids down to Tijuana, Mexico, to build homes for the homeless. On the drive down, we passed through some of the most affluent areas, well, in the world. The kids were joking, laughing and talkative, and energized about the work we were going to do. But mostly they were excited about the adventure and being together.

When we arrived in Tijuana, we found the small plots of land we were going to build homes on were located on a landfill. Due to local laws, houses had to be erected in a short amount of time, which limited what we were able to accomplish. The houses we erected would be considered shacks by American standards, but the people receiving them were overjoyed. They had an almost unordinary friendliness toward us when we were there. Their gratitude and elation over their new homes was, quite frankly, sobering.

The mood on the ride home was very different. The kids, having seen first-hand the abject poverty those families experienced, were quiet and pensive. This trip changed their perspective on material possessions. In the days and weeks that followed, you could sense that many kids had been transformed by their experience, expressing gratitude for their circumstances and less likely to be discontented. The experience had changed their outlook, and for some it transformed their lives.

In the 20-plus years since my trips to Tijuana, they have served as a reminder of the blessings and perspective derived from serving others in need. This lesson has been reaffirmed virtually every time I’ve made the effort to turn my attention away from my own troubles and distractions to the needs of others.

When we, as Americans, stop to consider the suffering and the needs in the world around us, it gives us a different perspective on the challenges and uncertainties we face in our country. It is estimated that one out of every four people in the world does not get enough food to eat each day, and one out of six don’t have access to clean drinking water. Women, children and families all over the world are suffering from the devastating effects of civil war, torture and imprisonment. In these same places, children die daily from preventable and treatable diseases.

Still, as we all know, there is plenty of hardship in our country and our state. It seems particularly felt during these times of economic uncertainty. People are losing their jobs; others aren’t sure how much longer they’ll keep the one they have. Homes are being lost to foreclosure. Many are faced with difficult challenges unforeseen just a few short years ago.

Regardless of the level to which we have been affected, I think it’s useful to gain some perspective about our own hardships. One of the best ways to do that is to serve others.

Serving others can involve traveling to distant places where needs and suffering are great. Just as those kids and I experienced a new outlook on the world, anyone can benefit from seeing just how much we enjoy here in America.

But serving can also be as simple as mowing the lawn of a single mother in your neighborhood, or bringing dinner to a family struggling financially because of unemployment. For families it can involve volunteering together for Habitat for Humanity on Saturday mornings or serving meals one day a month at a soup kitchen, rescue mission or homeless shelter.

With all that has been going on with the economy there has been a lot of talk about turning to government for help. But I think that in times like these we can all benefit from looking to one another.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “To find yourself, lose yourself in the service of others.”

Acts of service take the focus off of our own needs and reduce our impulse toward self-centeredness. When we are enthusiastic and passionate about helping others, it shifts our focus from our problems and highlights the hardships someone else is facing. Serving others also forces us to step out of our comfort zone and see things from a different perspective.

It brings other benefits as well. For example, research has shown that volunteering can benefit your health. Giving to others can help build new relationships, instill a sense of joy in helping others and pride in yourself and your work. Because volunteering fosters social connections, those who do it regularly feel less isolated and alone. And the reduction of fear and anxiety that serving brings can do wonders for mental, physical and spiritual health.

In fact, a study in the American Health journal showed that men who volunteer at least once a week have a longer life expectancy than those who did not. The men measured had stronger immune systems, lower cholesterol and generally reduced stress.

Today, so many believe their purpose and happiness can be found in accumulating large homes, lavish vacations or high-profile careers. We know from research that despite Americans, on average, getting richer over the past few decades, there has been no meaningful rise in the level of happiness. If we’ve learned one thing from our current economic upheaval, it’s that self-fulfillment does not come from possessions alone. They may leave us satisfied temporarily, but they will leave us wanting more.

No matter what our own condition is, we should ask ourselves what we can do individually, within our neighborhoods and communities, to help. By helping others we help ourselves too. The rewards aren’t measured financially, but the payback is much more valuable.

Georgia Family Council is a non-profit research and education organization committed to fostering conditions in which individuals, families and communities thrive. For more information, go to www.georgiafamily.org, (770) 242-0001, stephen.daniels@georgiafamily.org.

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