“There is no better exercise for strengthening your heart than reaching down and lifting up another person.” ― Joshua Miller
We know that every activity costs us something, and most of the time, it will cost us money. But, there are attitudes, moods, qualities and traits that we can draw on from our true essence that don’t require an exchange of money – and will contribute to the well-being of everyone around us, and our own.
Reaching out to help someone can be as basic as paying attention and being present; it doesn’t always have to cost us money. Traits like humility, tolerance, compassion and patience go far in helping us establish stronger connections with those around us. In business, we often refer to these connections as our human capital; those aware of this are more likely to find sustainable success.
But outside of the workplace, human capital runs deeper and further than knowledge, skills, know-how, good health, and education. It allows us to be generous in ways we cannot easily quantify; they can only be acknowledged as healthy, nurturing and enriching.
Joshua Miller recently shared some awesome ways to practice this type of generosity:
- In our civility: being kind and actively looking for opportunities to help others
- In our graciousness: accepting the generosity of others and admitting when we’re wrong
- With our affections: handshakes, hugs, high-fives and fistbumps
- With our attitude: allowing others their moment in the spotlight
- With our communication: speaking kindly, encouraging and respecting boundaries
When we read these ideas, they seem so simple and basic, but when we take time in our day to see how often we practice them, we face a confronting truth that we have to work a little harder to practice them. It’s easy to donate money, or pay for something in order to avoid a deeper connection, and this is one of the problems we have to overcome when we have the money available.
Sometimes, it’s not our money that someone needs; it’s that personal connection that will help lift them up from what’s weighing them down, stressing them out and keeping them stuck in a heavy emotional space.
We believe slowing down is one of the best ways to create the space to discern how best to engage with any situation. When we’re rushing and focused on the next thing, we miss what’s needed right now. We stop looking for opportunities to help others, struggle to admit we’re wrong, chase the spotlight and find ourselves judging, gossiping and crossing boundaries. If you feel like you need a helping hand to slow your life down, or need to chat about how things have changed, please feel free to chat with anyone in our team at WellsFaber.
We advise, you thrive.