Our culture, our world teaches us “every man for himself” and “if it won’t help me, why should I care?” Just think of the atmosphere such a mentality creates. People help one another less, have less time for each other, focus on themselves more and become willing to take down anyone who might stand in the way of their self-centered goals. I ask, “where is the happiness, joy and good in any of that?” Even if you get to the top and reach whatever it is you are reaching for, who will still be by your side to celebrate with you once you are there? You know you won’t be at the top forever, right? What goes up, must come down. On your way down, will you have any remaining genuine relationships with people that will still be there for you or will those people have scattered to the winds after you plowed them over marching for your success.

I’ve never understood this mentality. Actually, this mentality has increasing been causing more and more frustration to me as I age. Whatever happened to doing the right thing because it is the right thing and not because you see a potential benefit for yourself somewhere along the way?

We all need each other. Even if you are reading this blog thinking, “I don’t need anyone to help me,” you are wrong. You do need people. You need them in every way, each and every day. For instance, someone is providing you with internet service so you can read this blog. Someone is providing you with a grocery store stocked full of food for you to eat, someone is providing you with running water, someone is providing each and every gas station with fuel so you can get place to place in your car, someone is providing you with electricity, someone is providing you with plumbing for your home, someone is helping your business by giving you business, someone is introducing you to an important business partner, someone is holding the door for you, someone is smiling and saying hello to you, someone is celebrating the good times with you and someone is there for you in the down times. You get the point. Someone is always there, someone has helped you in some way throughout your life’s journey. Just because you choose not to see it that way, doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

What I’m trying to get at is, we all need each other and we all should respect each other too. Do something today to help someone else out instead of expecting everyone to help you. Quit focusing on yourself for one moment in order to help someone else out, and don’t do it because of how you may potentially benefit in the future from helping that person. Instead, help someone because it is the right thing to do.

Once you’ve mastered helping someone else out, do it again. You just may find (in ways you never could anticipate) that you get the most joy from helping others, rather than always helping yourself first.