There WILL be moments in your life where you face immense difficulty. You may face challenges that may take away all the hope that you had left in you. In the most severe cases, some contemplate ending their lives because of their dire circumstances.
Cue the person who out of nowhere injects that terribly needed positivity in your life. That one person who helps you get over your struggles and encourages you to face life’s demons head on. If you have been largely pessimistic over your life, you may be surprised at how positive an influence that person can have over you.
That person could be anyone – a parent, a friend, your spouse, or even a stranger. But after surviving that horrid part of your life, courtesy of that guardian angel, you realize what a difference that person has made to your life and you wonder what it would take for you to be that positive influence in others as well.
Keep a positive attitude
Only by having a positive attitude can you help others with their struggles. There is no point in helping others when you yourself are pessimistic in nature. Feeling optimistic is the start of being able to think of solution for that one person who is feeling down. Plus, having that positive attitude just somehow radiates throughout others around you. Humans gravitate towards a positive person, so use that to your advantage.
Know that what you are doing is going against the grain
It won’t be easy when you are helping others. But it never is. Challenges will arise every day when you are dealing with people who are going through a lot, but you cannot let that negativity get to you. At times that person whom you trying to help may reject your offer as he/she may feel helpless. But this shouldn’t deter you from helping others.
Be accepting and try your hardest not to judge others
You may not understand why they are doing what they are doing. For example, they may be holding on to family traditions that are dear to them. They may not know any other way to do what they have to do, or worse, that socio-economic or religious stigmas have become engrained within them that make it difficult for them to break out of.
Judging an individual too quickly will not lead to a good outcome for both you and the person that you wish to help. Be accepting, but at the same time give the push they need to live for something greater than themselves.
Most importantly, be present
Clear your mind of distractions from your own life and listen closely to what the other person has to say.
If you are not present with the person at the moment, all the points made above don’t matter.
Not giving a person in need a voice and the platform to hear them out, or even worse – drowning out their voice with your own unsolicited advice and opinions – makes people feel even more alone with their issues.
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