I’ve learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
Often times we feel as is our personal reservoir of strength has been completely depleted, to the point of zero left. In these moments of exhausted solitude, that is inevitably when someone close to us reaches out in a moment of fear, panic, frustration or other… We know that there is zero battery left, but yet, we summon a new courage, and internal strength to find the time or way to be of service.
The requirements of us under these circumstances may vary considerably, predicated upon the friend and the problems that they are facing. Some just need a friendly ear to listen to their words, and others may require an act that necessitates our journeying somewhere and performing an act of service. Regardless of the requirement, we feel that initial desire to resist out of our own personal exhaustion, but their need is so clear, that the only option at our disposal is to rise above our own personal plight and be of service in any way that we may.
While you are finding that inner channel of new energy that seems to arise from nowhere, (unlike your iPhone battery, which, when depleted, renders your iPhone into a brick of useless tech) we discover more about whom we truly are. That inner call to be of value to someone whom you care about is one of life’s greatest lessons, wrapped up as a gift for our personal growth. We discover a system deep within that will not let us collapse at a moment of true need. We add a new stamina that propels us into service. That stamina is like a reserve battery power that teaches us that when all feels lost, there is still more to pull from.
Why is all of this important?
I believe it is important because we are fragile beings, regardless of how strong physically, mentally and emotionally we might believe we are. Given that, we are continually discovering that boundaries which appear readily apparent, are easily shattered in times of need. That (to me) is the real lesson. The values of being a person that can be counted upon in times of need go without saying. If we are sentient beings and a dear friend is in trouble, we are (of course) ready and willing to help. But the lesson that there is still more to give at those moments of complete depletion teaches us that what we believe is depletion is just running on reserve.
Does this really matter?
Yes! Because if you understand that about yourself, you will also find a moment where everything seems lost in your world. Whatever the definition of that means in your particular circumstance. The crushing defeat, the loss of something, someone, or other will come crashing down upon all of us at one stage of life or another. It will be as overwhelming as anything could possibly be. Life will come to a dead stop at that moment and we will be gasping for air, looking for any tiny thing to hold onto.
That is where this understanding of ourselves having been reinforced at the time of need of another, is so valuable. At that moment our battery seems beyond reservoir levels. It feels terminated. We are frozen in limbo, trying desperately to find anything thing to hold onto. Knowing that there is still that last burst of energy within, teaches us that we can find it, even in those moments where everything appears without resource. And that is a very valuable thing to understand about ourselves.
In the interim, you deepen the value of your friendship with the person in need. You exemplify to them what a true friend really does for another when called upon. And most importantly, you are doing your part in helping to keep humanity sane. A world of strife requires an army of tenderness to pave the way into brighter futures. You are the torchbearer of that tenderness. The light in the darkness. The voice of calm and reason. The solution to the problem, or at least a compassionate ear to listen to another who is having a very tough chapter. These qualities bring out our higher selves. They allow us to blossom into something far more beautiful than anything we might conjure, left to our own devices.
And if you believe that personal evolution is a road worth traveling, then you will appreciate that these chapters are sculpting us into ever greater glory.
Happy Friday!
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