This blog post is all about thinking of others.
During a time when we constantly hear about self-care and putting yourself first, it’s time for people to consider the value of thinking of other people.
Whenever you hear people discuss impact or legacy, it is always in relation to other people.
Doctors want to save lives, lawyers want to defend those who can’t defend themselves in the court of law. Teachers want to inspire the children and even sanitation engineers want to discard waste for the health of communities.
People don’t realize how intertwined their identities are with others and the communities that they live in.
Why Should We Think of Others?
Recently, putting others first has become a sign of weakness and has lost its spark.
It is much more trendy to rave about the benefits of self-care and preserving your own mental health. These things are extremely important and have been disregarded for years; however, people forget how thinking of and helping other people fuels their own purpose.
When people create a vision for their life, they are usually not the only people in the vision. There is the community or the clients, or the patients who benefit from the individual’s hard work.
Thinking of others is not only to benefit other people but to reinforce the qualities necessary to make positive change.
How to Begin Thinking of Others
1| Being of Service
This is one thing that I think the United States as a society can improve on greatly. There is a disconnect between the stories we see in the media and the actual communities surrounding that we live in.
For example, we hear about poverty and the struggle all of the time, but a select few people get to experience it in real-time.
It is easy for people to cast judgments and make decisions when they have not taken the time to see the issues and the people that they speak about in person.
Being of service to other people is getting involved in your community where it needs it. You will be sure to gain a different perspective on others’ way of life when you see it first-hand.
This is the easiest way to begin thinking of others.
2| Gratitude
Good things come to grateful people.
This saying is so good, that I might consider putting it on a shirt!
When you can acknowledge the good in your life, things start to become brighter. You attract brighter people with more productive thoughts that can encourage you to move.
When you don’t practice gratefulness, you limit your options, your field of view becomes limited and you hurt your imagination.
By expressing gratitude, you immediately improve your relationships.
How many times have you heard of couples fighting because they feel unappreciated?
It’s silly to think that relationships end, because of people who couldn’t acknowledge the contributions of others. Don’t be those people.
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3| Resilience
When discussing thinking of others and potentially putting them before yourself (at times), we must mention the event of people taking advantage of your kindness.
I believe that everyone has the discernment to distinguish when their help is being taken for granted.
You know when relationships are no longer mutually beneficial, you know when someone is not reciprocating, and you know when enough is enough.
Whether or not you can be honest with yourself is a different discussion.
You are in control of your time and you have the power to choose where you spend it. People have no entitlement to your services or your time unless there was a binding agreement previously.
I will leave you with this.
YOU teach people how to treat YOU (through your actions). Do not blame manipulative people for being manipulative if you have allowed them to be.
Believe me, standing up for yourself can be very difficult; however, it is a VERY necessary evil. People are designed to test the limits and it is your job to set your own.
4| Pay Attention to The Details
When you really think about it, humans are quite predictable.
It is fairly easy to guess the things that make people happy and make people memorable.
If you have trouble doing this, just think of the things that make you happy. If you had to name 5, I bet the top 3 would not be physical objects.
A great way to get better at thinking of others is to listen more than you speak. When you listen, you really learn about the person you are speaking to.
By remembering the small details, you can show people that you are engaged in what they have to say and show a gesture of good will, which will likely come back to benefit you!
Remembering the small details may give you the opportunity to connect with people on a deeper level.
Conclusion
To create a more selfless world, I hope people will start thinking of others. When you can trust that someone has your back and know that you have theirs, you move differently.
A chance to see the world in a different light may just be all the inspiration you need to change your life.
Thinking of others does not make you weak, it makes you efficient.
Let’s Keep the Party Going!
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