People show up at different times in our lives. We also show up for those we care about and those around us. There are various reasons and circumstances that necessitate one person showing up for another. You may grace the occasion of your friend’s birthday by attending their party. You may send a gift to someone you know. You may visit a family member at the hospital. You may babysit your friend’s kids while they are away on an important appointment. You may donate items to your local foodbank, give to a charity, send aid to those abroad or even volunteer your time to serve your community. Acts of kindness are beautiful when delivered with genuine motive. There is a sense of fulfillment we enjoy when we contribute to the betterment of others.

Meanwhile, I have observed a situation where showing up for others touches their heart deeply. There is a common saying that “a friend in need is a friend indeed.” If I have 10 oranges, giving me one more orange may not necessarily touch my heart deeply even though I would appreciate the gift. Giving food to someone who is not hungry and who has plenty to eat and to spare may not touch their heart. The mistake most of us make is that we focus our giving on those who already have what we are giving. Some even give to those who have so that they may receive something in return. It is okay to give to anyone we want, but it is more heartfelt when we give to those who are despairingly in need. There are lots of people who desperately need what we can give. They have been waiting for us to show up.
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Several years ago, I concluded that you are most useful if you are available when you are most needed. We need to show up when people need us the most; when we can meet people at the very point of their needs and touch the deepest parts of their heart. We do not need to have something grandiose to touch lives. We can do a lot with whatsoever we have by channeling our resources and effort correctly. You and I need to make ourselves and our resources available when we are most needed.

No one has anything in this world that has not been given to them. It is true that success and other great things are not necessarily given to anyone on a platter of gold, but they are still given. Behind the successes and achievements of most of the wonderful people we know are stories of enabling connections, collaboration, and the involvement of others. You have also probably benefitted from the advice, recommendation, tutelage, sponsorship, support, or benevolence of someone else. We do not get to great places or achieve great feats by being an island of our own. The leverage we enjoy when we are carried by others is very significant.

Meanwhile, this message is not about you and me enjoying benefits from others, but about us becoming the lever for others. It is about carrying others as they try to reach their destination. We must not downplay the significance of the sponsorship, support, or recommendation we provide to people who are serious about their future. You and I may hold the key that opens the door to the blessings and breakthroughs of those around us. In fact, sometimes, what someone needs to succeed may be an introduction to someone else, a recommendation for an opportunity or providing direction. As simple as those sound, they require a genuine and deliberate effort on our part. The question is whether we accept the responsibility or not.
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Here is the call to carry someone else and participate in their journey to great achievements. If you look around, you will find many who need what you have. You have probably been brought into a place of honour, repute, and grace so that you can be a blessing to others. Someone may say, “but I also need help. I am not there yet”. You are right, everyone needs help. That is the reason we must spread help around and carry one another. Who do you carry?

Whenever I look on a busy street and see people passing, going about their regular business, I try to imagine what they are thinking. They are probably thinking about their work, family, favorite sport, friends, personal progress, how to make ends meet or even how to survive. People are preoccupied with the ups and downs of life. Although there are some that are busy working on evil schemes, most people are inherently seeking good things, just minding their own business, and trying to make life work. Yet we are generally inclined to think less of others, either seeing them on the other side of the societal divide or making unproven assumptions about who they are.

What and how we think about others matters. We usually get what we expect. Our perception of others is determined mostly by the way we think. Most times we conclude who people are before we even meet them. It is not so much about what others do or where they come from. It is more about how we think about what they do and who they are. We let our minds take the shortcut of tricking us to assume people are who they are not, instead of trying to know them better. Don’t we see people the way we want to see them? We need to do better. We need to start seeing others in a better light.
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Here is where I am going. It is better to expect good things from those around us, because we get what we expect. If you expect good things from someone you will probably find good things from them. The converse is also true. If you expect less or expect bad things from those around you, you will always see bad things in them. It may not even matter how much good they do; you will focus on the bad side instead. The light you throw on people determines how you see them. What light do you throw on others?

Have you ever wondered when you will be paid back for all the good things you have done? Do you feel discouraged, thinking you have contributed a lot but have not received much? You are not alone. You are among other millions of “good doers” who spend their energy and resources to build other people and society. Without a proper understanding of the purpose of doing good, one may be weary and feel like discontinuing their effort. Genuine “good doers” do not really expect much in return, especially at the beginning. They do good for the sake of “good”. They found purpose, a greater purpose, in doing good even if there will be no recompense.

Meanwhile, it is important to note that doing good is also like sowing a seed. In that case, expecting something good from doing good is okay. Depending on the species of the plant, seeds have different lengths of time for germinating and the plant takes different lengths of time to become fully grown. If you are expecting a harvest from what you sow, you will need to wait for the length of time it takes. It is also important to note that whatsoever anyone sows are what they will reap. If you planted corn, you would harvest corn, maybe in a couple of months, and only once. If you planted a cocoa tree, you may wait a few years to begin harvesting but will reap the reward for several years.
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When we do good, we feel a sense of accomplishment. We feel the joy of sowing something for which a harvest may be expected whether we benefit from it or not. Doing good may come in different forms and shapes. You may spend your time and resources helping others. You may be a good parent to your children. You may provide training and mentoring for the next generation. You may be a positive and resourceful contributor at work. You may work to be a model of character and sound moral judgement for others. You may spend your life serving humanity. Whatsoever is the case or your reason for doing good, doing good is good business.