THE FRIEND INDEED

You’re a helper by instinct

In my 19 years of life, one thing I have not failed to learn is the importance of helping people. Anyone can easily disagree and say there are downsides to helping people but aren’t there cons to everything in life?

But with helping people the pros are high and only someone with thin skin will choose not to help people. 

I grind my pepper from a woman who lives almost two streets away from me. (That two streets are from landscape though). She caught my attention last year when the blender at home wouldn’t work and I had to wander before finally meeting her and the day I met her, I was touched at how hard she worked but not okay she looked. She had two sons and I got concerned and had to ask if this was her only source of livelihood, she affirmed and since that day I always cross streets to grind pepper with her(my mum said she will never understand why) while paying double and sometimes even add extra. 

Her gratitude and heartfelt appreciation towards this gesture of mine gave me this warm feeling in my heart words cannot do justice to. And it gives me the enthusiasm to want to do more.

What’s my point?

You don’t have to give people a million dollars before you make their day better neither do you have to break yourself before you can help people out.

The little things count and you might never understand why. The words of encouragement you say in between your day to people you know or don’t know go a long way.

The hearts of people are easy to melt, the sun rays of hope are easy to shine on people and you can make people’s day better by just giving a little of your lot.

I’ve seen and felt how helping people can change lives. I’ve come to learn the importance attached to how helping people open doors of unplanned opportunities. I’ve been in situations where my past favor to a random stranger ended in turning my present situations around.

Might be archaic and cliche, but I’ve given my last money with no return hope and gotten double what I gave before. Whilst stating that helping people necessarily don’t have to come with backed up rewards.

Truthfully we never even know what people are going through. Maybe the little help you choose to render out of goodwill can change a life and make them not give up.

When you know you can help people by “not pricing what they sell” or by “tipping people who help you with a thing or two”. It might feel to you like it’s nothing but it’s much more to that person. 

I read a book that stated a fact of science “helpers high”. It is a satisfactory and exciting feeling you experience when you help people out. Since helping others is of great importance to survival and life continuation, helping others becomes a scientific bonus. 

The variables point our survival to helping one another. So even when we try to avoid it, we’re helpers by instinct.

You secrete dopamine and oxytocin which are hormones of excitement when you help people out too. Little wonders why some people are addicted to helping others out. Some people strangely can help people to their detriment while getting nothing in return even.

That’s where my two-cent advice comes in that “do not render parasitic help”. There are situations where you can tell that the person is just intending to milk you and take an advantage of your good heart. The blessed human brain can tell when you’re helping someone who is outrightly taking advantage of it. 

These types of people are everywhere and they seem to be the set of people that makes helping people difficult. Allowing people to get comfortable enough to disrespect your help or disregard your good heart towards them is where we all draw the line. 

Just a reminder that when you choose to help people, it’s not a radio experience. It’s not one where you just do a favor and go. You have passively touched someone’s life while actively living a life of fulfillment.

When you choose to help others, especially if it’s physically, you’re positively entering their life. This can help you reduce stress and can even help you find meaning in your own life.

To end this piece, people don’t have to be close to you before you help them. A song says “the person you have the power to help and you help is your friend, be their friend too.” It never ends without me quoting “A friend in need is a friend indeed”. 

Yours, 

Tutu❤️

Thank you for reading today’s piece. Remember to help someone this week. If you enjoyed it, make sure to like, comment and share.