“Only a life lived for others is a life
worthwhile.” ―
A very fundamental purpose of
our existence here on earth is to add value to the lives of other people. The
world teaches us to the contrary. We are taught to be individualistic; care for
ourselves exclusively. Even in the church, rarely do we pray for others; it’s
about ourselves. Such is the level of our misunderstanding of our purpose.
It is a great and noble path to
walk – to be influential and to be impactful. Contributing positively to the
lives of others is also very important in many facets of life, such as, leadership,
relationships, linkages, team building, etc, whether with friends, family, colleagues, etc. People give a lot of respect to those
who add value to their lives. If there is nothing to be gained, learned and/or
inspired from you, then you are just, sorry to say, a dead weight.
You have probably benefited
from someone’s contribution in the past; someone who motivated and encouraged you
by the value they added to your life. So much that you began to change and
improve your own circumstances and situation. You too should be out there,
adding value to other people whenever you have the opportunity to do so.
There
are many ways you can add value to the lives of people and your community.
According to Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan
Nicodemus in their article, “Adding
Value”, the following are some of them;
§
Create something someone can use. You wonder why inventors are
celebrated even centuries after they left the earth. Well, that is because they
did something that has continued to make life easier for others. Imagine how
life was before portable water, electricity, the telephone, the printed Bible
(translated into many different languages), etc. Every time we enjoy these ‘inventions’,
we remember those who made it happen. Man was built for creativity by the
Master Creator Himself. When you create something useful, you help to solve a
problem or make life easier for others.
§
Inspire someone
to take action.
Sometimes, people do not know how strong, caring, gifted, etc, they are until
you spur them on. You can motivate people to do better with their lives; do
well in school; make a mark in the workplace and the community; stand up for
themselves; write a book; fight for a good cause; etc. And someone took action
and changed the course of their lives, simply because you encouraged them to do
so.
§
Lend a helping hand. Everybody will need help at
some point in their lives and would be grateful to those who rallied around them
at such times. Many people underestimate the value they add to people’s lives
when they render help to them in times of need. Not all will be appreciative though
but being generous is a great way to impact people positively – be a shoulder
to cry on; give a listening ear; visit someone suddenly; smile at people; give up
your seat for someone who needs it the most; show empathy, and not just
sympathy, etc.
§
Lead by example. I can’t help but remember
Apostle Paul’s injunction to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12. For Timothy not to be
disregarded because he was so young, Apostle Paul advised him to imbibe and
maintain an exemplary conduct. You cannot be a person of influence or impact
except you lead by example. You will probably have to do more than you are
asking of others. And sometimes, your example will make people feel that you
value them enough not to take them for granted. The results are usually positive
- people do not forget. Maya Angelou said, 'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget
what you did, but people will
never forget how you made
them feel.'
§
Be sincere. No matter how you contribute
to the wellbeing of others, do so in an authentic way—without an ulterior
motive—genuine and helpful and unassuming. People can identify fake,
pretentious and hypocritical support when they see one and they will not take
kindly to it.
Who adds value to your life?
How do you add value to others? The keys to success and happiness lie in our
God-given ability to make the difference in other people’s lives. That is how
we will grow and be on the front-line for unsolicited opportunities. Let me
leave you with these two quotes;
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another”
– Charles Dickens
“Try not to become a man of success. Rather
become a man of value.” ―
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