“I would urge upon the young men to do nothing for show, but to do their best to obtain knowledge and then strive to put the knowledge obtained to practical use. I am acquainted with some people who are regularly encyclopedias of knowledge but so far as their knowledge being utilized for the benefiting of their fellowmen, they might just as well not possess it or be deaf, dumb, and blind.” —Heber J. Grant
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Thank you for your time!!! Illens Dort – authour of Thinking and Acting with a Compassionate Heart. To buy a copy go to https://www.amazon.com/author/Illensdort.
I had two thoughts when reading this post.
1) How many of us are wandering through life wondering what our purpose is and why we are even alive? I have felt adrift in such a manner. I’ve questioned what this life is about and if I could live a life of fulfillment. The answers I found on my quest that continue to hold true are that my purpose, my reasons to live are to love others and to be loved by others. Through acts of service, I show my love and through accepting service from others, I have felt love. When I practice service and love for my brothers and sisters, I feel that I am living a life fulfilled. In an article written by Elizabeth Hopper, “Can Helping Others Help You Find Meaning in Life?”, she highlights several studies which have shown that performing altruistic acts provide a way for us to “meet basic human needs”. Ms. Hopper also gives a plan of action that I plan on implementing in my own life. She suggests practicing Random Acts of Kindness, engaging in a writing practice called “Feeling Connected”, Loving-Kindness Meditation, look for reminders of connectedness, and teach kids kindness.* When I practice kindness and service to others, I feel fulfilled, I experience greater joy in my life, and the good in my life maximizes while the bad minimizes.
2) I am grateful for my education and where it has lead me. I have the extraordinary opportunity to serve my fellow man right here in my very own community. I am a practicing Physical Therapist Assistant and I serve the geriatric population. It is such a gift to be able to go to work every day and serve my brothers and sisters in need. I get to be involved in a very vulnerable and personal part of their lives, watching their struggles and celebrating their successes with them daily. The APTA has written a Code of Ethics for our profession that reminds us of our responsibility to practice at a high standard. Two of my favorite core values that are listed in the Code of Ethics are Excellence and Social Responsibility. We are expected to continually hone our skills and increase our knowledge so we can practice excellence in our care. We are also expected to find ways to help fill the healthcare needs of our fellowman. I am happy to belong to a profession that promotes service and genuine care.#
*Hopper E. Can helping others help you find meaning in life? Greater Good Magazine. 2016. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_helping_others_help_you_find_meaning_in_life.
#APTA. Code of ethics. https://www.apta.org/uploadedFiles/APTAorg/About_Us/Policies/Ethics/CodeofEthics.pdf
Hi Julz,
Thanks for taking the time to contribute to this blog. You work for a wonderful company. I had the privilege of accompanying my good friend there. I also met many people who work in different capacity at your work. I marvel at the way all of them care for the residents.I echo this sentiment, “I am happy to belong to a profession that promotes service and genuine care.”