“Just do what you can.”

Serving others should be a passion.

Many people want to do a good deed but there is a misconception that in order to carry out such deed it has to be done on a wide scale. However, how about being nice to the cashier, giving a compliment or even just a smile to the next person that you go by. I believe that in life, it is the small things that really make a big difference. You might never know, but the person that you smiled with might have been having a bad day, but that smile made the person’s day a little brighter.

I have a heart for helping others because I know that small deeds can make a difference. I have received assistance from several individuals in different aspect of my life and the great thing about these individuals is that they never wanted anything in return, actually, the only thing they wanted was to see me succeed in all areas of my life. These were small deeds, for some it may have been a sacrifice but they all knew what difference this act of kindness and generosity can do. It is like the ripple effect, they help me and I volunteer during my free time by helping others and the organizations that I volunteer at helps others.

So many people think that in order to show others that they want to do good by humanity, they must go to a third world country and carry out a service project. However, for some, they do not have the finances to do that. It is great thing when individuals are able to help the less fortunate in these countries, however, not everyone was cut out to do that type of service. How about you start in your own community? Find a local organization that you are able to volunteer at and if you only have an hour a week to volunteer, volunteer each week and although it may seem like a small deed, it will eventually make a big difference in the organization and the people that they help.

Too many times our ideas of helping others are discouraged because it may not be a big deed and it does not measure up to what others might be accomplishing. But how about instead of trying to change an entire nation at once, we start by doing something small. We could say happy birthday to our classmate or even give the person a homemade card, or the next time we see someone sitting alone at the lunch table, we join them. You never know how much your presence can improve the person’s day or even your own. Of course these are all small deeds but you have no idea just how special it might make these people feel. After all it’s the small things that counts.

Yoma’s advice

• Everyday find at least one person to help (no matter how small the deed)
• Do not expect anything in return
• Encourage others to do good