Helping others helps young people
Paying it forward
The coronavirus pandemic won’t last forever, and we’ll be better off if we care for one another. Giving makes us feel happy. It’s good for our health; promotes social cooperation and social connection, evokes gratitude; and, is contagious (the good kind). When we give to others, not only do we make them feel closer to us; we also feel closer to them. And research shows that people who are happier, have a strong purpose in life and believe that they have control over their situation seem to have an easier time recovering after disaster. They are more resilient.
Social Safety Nets
As more people stay home, isolation can be a source of stress, and so can worries about family and friends. Loneliness among older, sicker populations will increase.
Small kindnesses, even from a distance, bring joy for everyone involved. Is one of your neighbors feeling sick? Drop off groceries and a note at their doorstep. Are people you care about feeling anxious? Call them, or offer to run errands (door delivery, of course). Teens can call grandparents; snap a photo of home life and send to cousins; thank a teacher; scrounge change from dusty corners to donate to local relief; play an online game with a friend who's feeling down; or, read books over Facetime with little ones.
Those with robust networks of family and friends should advocate on behalf of those who don't. People all over the world are opening their hearts and finding creative ways to contribute. In Italy, young people are making phone calls to elders to combat the loneliness of quarantine, and grocery stores all over have dedicated a morning shopping hour for older adults and immune-compromised individuals. We're more resilient as a community by doing our part to ensure all families are safe and thriving. Being kind barely costs a thing, but your generosity can have meaningful impacts at this time of need.
“Meaning is not something you stumble across, like the answer to a riddle or the prize in a treasure hunt. Meaning is something you build into your life. You build it out of your own past, out of your affections and loyalties, out of the experience of humankind as it is passed on to you, out of your own talent and understanding, out of the things you believe in, out of the things and people you love, out of the values for which you are willing to sacrifice something. The ingredients are there. You are the only one who can put them together into that unique pattern that will be your life. Let it be a life that has dignity and meaning for you. If it does, then the particular balance of success or failure is of less account.”
— John Gardner, 1964 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient
Shine the light on the positive.
This unprecedented life event offers BIG lessons for us all. Resilience, resourcefulness, gratitude, love, integrity... Take time together to reflect on the vulnerability, strength, and beauty of the human body and spirit, and the good that can come out of hard times. Take time to truly value self-care. You, and other amazing humans all over the world, have the determination and spirit to help each other and to be resilient.
Help your teenager to lead a purposeful life. Understand what you live for and, as much as possible, be optimistic for a brighter future. If you have something to fight for and live for, emotional resilience will naturally come to you.
A generous spirit starts with your clan – carve out moments every day to shine the light on the positive. Love is the superpower. All it takes is a pause and a smile; even the quietest expression of this practice is a powerful and lasting force.
