Part 3 - Looking Beyond Our Immediate Circle
Living Your Best – Part 3 - Looking Beyond Our Immediate Circle
We cannot help people we don't notice
This is the third part of our series exploring how we can move beyond personal development and towards purposeful contribution.
We can all make a difference through small actions every day. We don't have to do something extraordinary or change the world. Sometimes the greatest opportunities to make a difference are right in front of us.
Our circle of influence extends beyond our immediate family and close friends. It includes our neighbours, our church community, our schools, our colleagues, our friends and the many people we encounter in everyday life.
But first, we need to notice them.
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."
— Aesop
Sometimes, it begins with something as simple as noticing someone who needs a little help.
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."
— Helen Keller
Do We Know Our Neighbours?
Do we really know our neighbours?
Perhaps we greet them when we see them. We chat briefly over the fence or wave as we pass. We know their faces, perhaps their names, but do we know what is happening in their lives?
A couple of weeks ago, one of our neighbours sent me a message asking if we would like some carrots they had grown. He and his two boys came over one evening to drop them off.
During that short visit, we discovered that his wife had been in hospital and was still very unwell. They have two young boys and an older son. We had no idea they were facing such difficult circumstances.
We simply hadn't known.
And it made me think: How many people around us are quietly dealing with challenges that we know nothing about?
A few days later, I offered to look after the two younger boys to give their dad a little break. Their mother is very weak and will need a long time to recover.
The boys, aged seven and eighteen months, spent Sunday with us.
It was exhausting.
It was noisy.
It was fun.
And it was a reminder that sometimes making a difference is incredibly simple.
We don't necessarily need to become close friends with our neighbours. But perhaps we can become more aware of one another.
· A conversation over the fence.
· A meal shared.
· An offer to help.
· Looking after the children for a few hours.
· Checking in when someone is ill.
Sometimes these small gestures are exactly what someone needs.
Friends – Are We Really Listening?
Our circle of influence also includes our friends.
Do we give our friends the time and attention they deserve?
Sometimes a friend doesn't need our advice. They don't need us to solve their problem or tell them what they should do.
They simply need someone who will listen.
Someone who will sit beside them and say:
"I'm here."
Listening is one of the simplest ways we can show someone that they matter.
Church and Community
Our churches and communities are also filled with people who may be carrying struggles that we cannot see.
There may be someone who is lonely, grieving, worried, overwhelmed or simply having a difficult day.
· Welcome a new or visiting member.
· Greet someone you haven't seen for a while.
· Stop and have a brief conversation.
· Notice the person sitting alone.
You may never know how much that small interaction meant to them.
You might be the person who makes a difference in someone's day simply because you noticed them.
Looking Beyond Ourselves
We cannot help everyone. We cannot solve every problem. But we can notice. We can care. We can listen.
And we can be willing to help when an opportunity presents itself.
Our circle of influence grows when we look beyond ourselves and become aware of the people around us.
Perhaps the first step towards making a difference isn't asking:
"What can I do?"
Perhaps it is simply asking:
"Who needs me to notice them?"
Final Thought
We may never know the full impact of a small act of kindness. But we can choose to pay attention.
Because we cannot help people we don't notice.
And sometimes, noticing is where making a difference begins.