recreatingreality.com

If you find yourself a little out of sorts, not quite as excited about your life as you should be, perhaps building a sense of community will help.

We are not talking about building structures, houses, or whatever.  We are talking about building a sense of community, a sense of purpose.  I’m not Rick Warren but I will agree that there must be a purpose to our lives. 

When you find yourself a little down in the dumps, feeling sorry for yourself, why not do something for the community?  It will put life in perspective.  Many of my friends volunteer at the local community kitchen.  It gives us a sense of purpose, a sense of being useful to mankind.  When we are feeling down and maybe wanting a little pity, all it takes to get us back on the straight and narrow is to spend a few hours serving food to the homeless.  It is a humbling experience. 

We have all heard and said at one time or another that there is always someone worse off than we are.  That is true.  Even when we are “down” there is always someone we can help.  It’s not that we are looking for someone with more problems or less money.  The purpose is to give of ourselves.  It doesn’t cost a penny to help someone.

Service to others is the most uplifting activity we can do.  Don’t dismiss the idea.  We all get so caught up in our own lives that we all too often forget that there are other people in the world.  Sometimes our egos convince us that the sun and moon revolve around us.  They don’t.  I know that is hard to believe.  But, you are not the most important person on earth and neither am I.  We only convince ourselves that we are in times of depression or emotional crisis.

I would strongly suggest that anyone who truly wishes to recreate his or her reality spend an hour or two a week working for someone else.  Work for the benefit of a person other than yourself.  Give of yourself.  That is the greatest gift one can give.

Two of the happiest people I know are a couple of neighbors.  Happy and Maya live next door to one another and have been friends for years.  I only met them about ten years ago.  When I thought I had seen it all and done it all, I learned some of the most valuable lessons of my life from those neighbors.  These two women who each have challenges in their own lives spend more time helping others than any two people I have ever met.  I do encourage anyone who may be interested in seeing how a sense of community really works to read a few of Maya’s posts.  The Gratitude Journal.

When I moved to the neighborhood, I felt very lucky.  We moved into my dream house.  I was very caught up in the house until I met Happy and Maya.  They taught me what life is really about.  I feel very lucky to have moved to our neighborhood.  If you take the time to visit Maya’s blog you will see how our neighborhood works.  Don’t mind Maya referring to herself and the neighbors as “AARP-ers”.  She is one of the youngest people I know regardless of her years.  A short read on her blog and you will know what I mean. 

I would try to better explain the sense of community that gives us purpose.  However, I cannot compete with Maya’s way of looking at life.

Put your life in perspective.  Know who you are.  Have the courage to face the truth.  Don’t place more importance on the little negatives in your life than they deserve.  No one else is noticing.