When I was volunteering at the cooling center, one of the guests said something to me that stuck with me.

He looked at the people who came there to help and said:

“People who come here to help… come here to make themselves feel good. Do you feel good?”

😁

I really like this guy.

He’s got a point.

We decide when we’re going to help.

We decide when we’re going to volunteer.

We decide when we’re going to donate.

We decide when we want to feel good about doing something for somebody else.

But the person who needs help doesn’t necessarily get to choose when they need it.

So maybe service shouldn’t always be something we do when we’re in the mood, when someone is watching, or when we want to tell everybody about it afterward.

Maybe it should just become part of how we live.

Do it every month.

Every year.

Like clockwork.

Do it anonymously.

Be a Secret Santa for a single parent every year. Follow that family’s life from a distance, knowing in your heart that you made things a little easier.

If you have what you need, share with your neighbors. 😁

And yes, maybe it will make you feel good.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

People who feel good tend to help make other people feel good.

And people who feel bad can sometimes make other people feel bad too.

Maybe kindness works the same way.

It gets passed around.

So go ahead.

Feel good.

Then help somebody else feel good too.

😁

Feeling human.