I love watching the television show Undercover Boss. I confess, I’ve wiped away many tears by the end of each episode. What I love most is how it changes the lives of both the undercover bosses and their employees.
Recently, a CEO of a real estate company spent some time with one of their home stagers—a brave woman battling cancer. He said, “I thought I was going to learn about staging, but I learned so much more.”
Isn’t that how it often happens? I thought about occasions when I’ve been on faculty at conferences to teach wanna-be writers. I wanted to touch their lives and help them with their careers. Instead, I came home with my heart overflowing by how they touched me.
Or the week I went on a mission trip to Costa Rica, hoping to be a blessing to someone else. Instead, I came home with my life changed forever because of the beautiful people I met there and the experiences I had.
There have also been days when I went to the hospital to encourage friends fighting serious illnesses, only to leave filled with their faith and courage.
So helping others is a two-way street. You help someone and are helped in return. Here’s how you can seek out more experiences like that:
1) Keep your eyes open for ways that you can bless others. Be aware and focused on opportunities as you go about your day.
2) Ask God to place people on your heart who need encouragement or a helping hand.
3) Pray for divine appointments and holy introductions to the people God wants you to meet.
4) Consider spending your time. Set aside hours or days when you can help others.
Read More: A Video Game Helping Kids with Special Needs
5) Make it a family affair. Take your children with you and teach compassion by example rather than just words.
I promise that just like an undercover boss, you’ll come out of each experience learning and feeling more than you ever imagined.
