"Those who achieve the most are those who attempt the most."

Date:   3/26/2006 9:04:06 PM ( 18 y ago)

How to Get Out of a Slump
Volunteering not only brings joy to others—it can help you feel
better about yourself.
By Susan Jeffers, Ph.D

There are times on our Journey through the huge-ness of life that we
feel lost, unloved, helpless and defeated. What do we do when we find
ourselves in such an unhappy state? Some of us escape into the land of
danger and defeat. We "get out of ourselves" by drinking too much, or
taking drugs, or feeling sorry for ourselves, or complaining, or whatever
else that stops us from doing what is truly necessary...and that is
taking responsibility for our own experience of life. And we look out at
the world with envy imagining that everyone else out there has been given
a more fulfilling and enjoyable life than we have. Not good!

There are many healthier and happier alternatives. One of these
alternatives, which is simple but HUGE in its force, is to "get out of
ourselves" by getting involved in the lives of others who are less fortunate.
What does that look like? We help feed and clothe the poor; we help
build houses for those who have no homes; we visit the homes for the aged;
we read to children in hospitals...and all manner of such beautiful
things.

When I was the Executive Director of The Floating Hospital, which
provided all sorts of health, educational and recreational activities for
the poor in New York City, I relied on the help, not only of a paid
staff, but a large number of volunteers. These beautiful beings provided
money, services, time, energy, love, and caring to help those less
fortunate than themselves.

Understand that not all of these volunteers were the moneyed of the
community. I met "poor helping poor", people giving to their community in
ways that touched the Soul. They taught me so much about what makes
life worth living. And what truly does make life worth living is not only
finding love, caring and all good things for one’s self. No, it's
also about giving love, caring and all good things to others.

It's not that getting isn't wonderful...it is. And learning how to take
with gratitude is a sign of an open heart and brings us much joy. But
giving has its own special rewards. It is the pathway to finding and
increasing our feelings of self-confidence and worth. And in the end, it
is just these feelings that we are all yearning for during those times
when our lives seem so empty and unhappy.

At The Floating Hospital, I saw firemen, policemen, society women,
doctors, college students and so many other segments of society all showing
up to distribute lunches, play with the children, wash the dishes, sing
songs, create new programs, do office work, raise money and whatever
else was needed. And in so doing, they discovered the incredible feeling
of well-being inherent in the act of giving. How lucky they were and
how lucky were those they served!

One of the people who often volunteered was my daughter, Leslie. She
began learning at the age of ten what it meant to give of herself. She
stuffed envelopes, washed dishes and served coffee with the best of them.
And she carried this learning into adulthood. One of her ways of
getting out of herself today is to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, a
wonderful organization that builds houses for people who can't afford to do
it themselves. I have photographs of her happily hammering nails on the
roof of a house-in-progress. She talks about her feeling of joy and
healthy pride when the keys to that finally-completed house are handed
over to a family who never before had a decent place in which to live. In
many other ways, Leslie has never stopped her practice of getting out
of herself to find more of herself.

Ely, a friend of mine who had a stroke, was able to feel blessed and
abundant every time he volunteered, wheelchair and all, to help cook in a
restaurant that served free meals to the homeless. He knew he counted
and had much to give to the community, despite his stroke. And it was
his acts of giving that always made his spirits soar. As a general rule,
to know that we count is one of the greatest boosts to our morale that
we can ever experience. By the way, some of us volunteer at holiday
time, which is wonderful. But those who get the most out of volunteering
are those who make it a regular part of their lives...not just a holiday
special.

You might be wondering why volunteering makes you feel so good about
yourself? As I see it, volunteering takes you out of your Lower Self, the
negative part of who you are, and elevates you to your Higher
Self...the best of who you are...the part of you that is loving, powerful and
abundant.
So here is what I suggest: Any time you feel yourself in a depressed
and unhappy state, immediately get up and get out to help the world in
any way you can. And as you make helping others a part of your everyday
life, any feelings of depression and unhappiness will appear less and
less and less...and feelings of joy, gratitude and all good things will
appear more and more and more. It works every time.

See, I told you the answer was simple, but HUGE in its force

Every single thing you ever achieve will come as the result of
something you attempt. So get busy making those attempts. Sure, some of them
will fall short of the mark. Yet each and every one will bring you closer
to the achievement of whatever you desire.
Every winning athlete knows that practice is what ingrains victory.
Practice is the process of making one attempt after another, and
persisting through each and every outcome.

Those who achieve the most are those who attempt the most. Those who
are told "yes" most often are those who have been told "no" most often.
Sure, failure is possible anytime you attempt something. Yet failure is
certain when you never make the attempt at all.

If you're waiting for a sure thing, you'll wait forever and nothing
will ever come of it. So go ahead, get out there, get your hands dirty and
make the attempt. That's what will bring victory. That's what will
bring accomplishment.

What would you attempt if you knew you could make it happen? Go ahead
and make that attempt. The first one may not get you there, but it will
get you started. Keep making the attempt and the achievement will be
yours.

 

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