Do you believe in Angels? Maybe it’s a heavenly angel, a guardian angel or a person in your life who just seems to appear with what you need at a time you really needed it. Maybe your angel is a family member or friend who has helped you without obligation, without a feeling that you owe them, just a sense that they knew you needed help and wanted to ease your burden. Think about how wonderful it feels to be on the receiving end of this kindness. Not only did you get something you probably really needed, you got the sense that someone cares and has concern for you. Someone said to you through their action “I see you and I know you could use some help.” Like Ubuntu’s Sawabona greeting that translates into “I see you,” that sense of being seen and noticed is a powerful human connector.
Think about some of the national and personal tragedies our nation and community has gone through like 9/11, the Sandy Hook school shootings, the Boston Marathon bombings. These difficult times are also quite often the times we feel the most connected and close to people we don’t even know. This is because their suffering is so visible, so obvious that we can’t help but see it. As a human, when we really allow ourselves to see someone, sometimes the best parts of ourselves can be triggered into action. And when you can access the best parts of you, you can be like an angel for someone else.
We have all have faced impossible odds at work and have been bailed out by someone who came out of nowhere to help. Not only was their help freely offered, the individual brought with them a calming reassurance that we can get through this. It was no accident, but it was someone who decided to become an "Angel in the workplace." Who doesn’t want this kind of help sometimes? To find an angel you have to be an angel. Maybe you get this kind of care and concern back from the person you gave it to. Or perhaps that person needs help but is not yet able to be there for someone else. Know that when you step outside of your normal responsibilities to help another people, you will get it back. Maybe you’ll get help from another person who witnessed your kindness and was inspired by it. Or you benefit from the good vibe you get when you do something for someone else, that vibe that can make you feel good all day. No matter what, you win. And when you win, I win, we all win because attitudes and actions are contagious.
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