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A Little Caring Goes a Long Way

A Little Caring Goes a Long WayAs an entrepreneur or blogger, a leader or follower, a business owner or non-profit volunteer there is one thing that is in common with all walks of life that rings true.  People will believe you, trust you and follow you if you care.

Many might scoff at that and say, of course I care, I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing if I didn’t care.’  … Really?

What would happen if you went through the day paying attention to people’s needs rather than your own.  Try the next time you pass the homeless in the street, rather than avoiding them or tossing them some loose change, how about shaking their hand and asking them about their day.

Many people start out a dream or journey because they are passionate about it, or because it happens to pay the bills.  Very few actually care about not only what they do but also why they do it and for whom.  Whether you are bagging groceries at the local supermarket, or a barista at the neighborhood coffee shop it is much easier to spend our days caring about what we do.

So you happen to sit behind a desk writing code or doing monotonous accounting, who says the job has to be a drag and that you should not care.  Okay so you make minimum wage at the local fast food joint, you will probably get promoted either there or by a customer with a better offer if you care about what you do.  What is the worst that could happen if you greeted the customer with a smile or better yet checked to make sure there order was right?

So you started working at the city animal shelter and there are so many abused and neglected animals that come in every day that you have become callous and unemotional.  What a better day it would be if the animals that were already scared could sense and see that you care.  A happy dog will go home long before a terrified one ever will.  Take a moment to care for them beyond their basic needs the return will be priceless.

What would happen if when you called a customer service rep and they actually were empathetic and went above and beyond to fix your issue.  We call the 800 numbers prepared for a battle and ready to fight for what is right.  It would turn the world on its head if every time you called there was a blessing on the other end of the line.

Does it really take that much more of an effort to actually care than to bear resentment for what you do?  If you don’t care about what you do or why you do it, maybe it is time that you change it.  If what was once was your passion is now just distractions then you are there for the wrong reason.

Have a heart, show you care and you will be amazed at the results of your endeavors.  There are very few artists, woodworkers or writers that are successful without caring.  We are taught from a very young age that sharing is caring and yet when we grow up we forget that most important lesson.

We received the instructions thousands of years ago from the best manual around how we should treat others but we tend to forget these in the hustle of our lives.  If we took a moment just to slow down and just breathe, all we have is all we need.(Icon For Hire)

It has been proven that it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown, I am pretty sure the same can be said for a lesser effort to show you care than to bring someone down.  It can be exhausting to hide our hearts just to make ourselves feel better.

Focus this coming week to treat each other out of kindness and the way we would like to be treated.  Show people that you care and that you want to be there for them.  Whether you are flipping burgers, stocking shelves or in a boardroom if you lead by example before you know it others will begin to care as well.

I look forward to you sharing your stories about how you have faced this week’s adversity with the face of caring.

Blessings,

Charles

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About Charles Johnston

Charles is a Christian, husband and father of fur-kids who shares his walk with others in hopes to help other's along the way.

3 Replies

  1. Denise Beidler Jackson

    I related to what a difference caring makes. It made 30 years of working in public schools some of the most rewarding of my life.

    1. cjohnstonjax

      Thanks for your 30 years of service, anyone that worked or works in the public school system and is able to maintain compassion and caring is near sainthood in my book.

  2. David Mike

    I agree, by showing my students that I care, it has made all the difference in the way they respond to me. It has changed from instructor /student, to mentor / friend. Just need to apply this everywhere.