Volunteering is unique in that it gives you a very pure opportunity to connect with people that you may never have met otherwise. You can learn about yourself through relationships you never would have forged if you hadn’t volunteered your time. “Giving back” reaps perspective.
There are countless people all over the world who are in need of assistance, and volunteering your time and energy enables you to perform a selfless act that simply helps others. Becoming a volunteer is a wonderful way to gain perspective in your own life.
The “Silent Solutions” protocol allows you to dial 999 and remain silent if it’s not safe for you to talk. The operator will put you through to an automated system, and if you then press 55, the police will be dispatched to your location.
Instead of thinking you’re in the worst-case scenario, reassess the situation. This will help diffuse your negative thinking and you may find something closer to reality.
We can fall into the trap of all-or-nothing thinking, engaging in faulty interpretations of the actions of others. If things don’t go exactly according to our expectations, we immediately turn to the worst-case scenario. This is usually a distortion of reality.
Instead of spending time criticising yourself, try to take an objective approach to understanding your personal journey. Performing a SWOT Analysis (Strengths / Weaknesses / Opportunities / Threats) is a great way to retrain the way you think about yourself.
Constructive feedback and a critical eye are great, but many of us spend too much time beating ourselves up over our faults. Concerning ourselves only with weaknesses breeds more weakness. Compulsive fault-finding is not an efficient self-improvement strategy.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate: it is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us most. Greatness is not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. Letting our own light shine gives other people permission to do the same.
When you speak to an older person about their life, ask if they would do things differently or exactly the same. Understand that right now YOU are the one living the life you will speak of when you are older. Make your actions count.
You can practice feeling life from the vantage point of someone else by reading a book or watching a movie that is told by an older person. What would they do today if they were in your shoes? Try acting as this person would if they could switch to your younger body.