“I pray that I may never meddle, interfere, dictate, and give advice that is not wanted, or assist when my services are not needed. If I can help people, I’ll do it by giving them a chance to help themselves and if I can uplift or inspire, let it be by example, inference and suggestion, rather than by injunction and dictation. That is to say, I desire to be Radiant, to Radiate Life!”
— Elbert Hubbard

It’s not easy to have the desire to help others and have the person needing help not want it or accept it. When I see someone suffering needlessly, I really want to reach out and help because I know I can help.

A good friend of mine who is a healer has a saying that he lives by, “No willing, no healing”. We may want to help, but if the other person is not willing to accept the help, the situation will not improve — despite all our best efforts and intentions.

The best way to help others is to give them a chance to help themselves and be there if they ask you to be there for them. We are not here to change the world by force. We are here to change the world by love, tolerance, respect, and compassion. And that can be done by living a life worthy of inspiring others and leading by example. That is living a radiant life.

“I always wanted to be somebody. If I made it, it’s half because I was game enough to take a lot of punishment along the way and half because there were a lot of people who cared enough to help me.”
— Althea Gibson (1927 - )

Real Life isn’t always easy for many people. But it doesn’t always have to be that way. One reason why it seems to be harder than it should is that we don’t ask for help when we need it. We feel as if asking for assistance is proof that we are incompetent. Or we were brought up to believe that we should not impose ourselves and our needs on others.

The sad truth of it is that we only become inept when we are overwhelmed by our load because we waited too long to ask for help from our family, our friends, co-workers, or even strangers.

In Simple Abundance, Sarah Ban Breathnach asks us to “Think of it as a positive exchange of comfort and compassion in the circle of life.” Be kind to others and, most importantly, let others be kind to you.