“The closest thing to being cared for is to care for someone else.” Carson McCuller
What a powerful quote from Carson McCuller. I recently have been thinking about why people act the way that they do. What motivates someone to care for someone else? Is it the feeling you get from paying it forward? There are a lot of videos and posts of people sharing their own deeds or the deeds of others that are caught on social media. Unfortunately, some of those acts of kindness are staged. Sometimes authenticity is neglected for likes and clicks.
So, I pose this question to you all who read this, why do you care? Is it for the benefit of others or for your own clout? That care doesn’t have to be for someone else. It could be for yourself. More and more people these days feel isolated. With that isolation and looking at people from a distance, I feel that there is a lack of empathy. So hopefully the question of “why do you care?” can help reset your mindset. I know it helps me out from time to time.
The Reason To Care
Without a doubt I care for my family and friends. I look out for them. Therefore I make sure that they are seen, heard and cared about through my actions. What motivates me to do this? I know that everyone wants to feel some form of connection. People want to feel a sense of belonging. I try to put myself in each of my family and friends shoes and provide support and attention in ways I hope they feel cared for at that moment. This world can knock you down and feel like there is no one on your side. Once in a while, loneliness starts to creep into your mind. In addition, thoughts start to invade your self worth. You start to question so many things. Negativity takes over as anything that is positive in your life seems to get thrown away.
I am guessing many of you reading this have felt this way at one point in your life. Do you remember how you got out of that funk? Was it done by a helping hand or were you able to navigate that hard time by yourself? Those solutions will not only help you, but these life lessons are things you can pass onto your kids.
Teaching Your Kids To Care
Kids learn so many different things in school. In addition, they can learn other life lessons from you. One of those lessons can be the importance of care. From self care to supporting others, teaching your kids that we all need each other can help make for a better society. It sounds cheesy, I know but I am guessing we would all take that cheese if we can create a place where everyone feels accepted and cared for no matter who they are. My hope is that you see the importance of this article. Our actions as parents will have a great effect on our kids and their generation. Instill the values of compassion and empathy. It will not only provide benefits for your kids, but the society that they will inherit as they get older.