How to Be a True Blessing to Others

I often say that life is not complicated.  Rather, we make it so.  And one of the main areas where we create complications in our lives is in our relationships.  That’s because we forget that our one job on this earth is to be a blessing to others.

Sadly, instead of trying to be a blessing to others, we often get caught up in our egos.  We become so self-involved that we stop caring about whether our words and actions are blessing others or hurting them. 

But when we aren’t blessing other people, then we aren’t accomplishing our sole purpose on this earth, which is to be good and generous toward others.  In fact, if you want to evaluate your words and actions throughout the day and determine if they are serving your life purpose, then ask yourself this question: At this moment, am I being kind, helpful and gentle toward others?  If the answer to that question is no, then you need to fix your behavior and get it in line with your life purpose.

Below are ways that you can be a true blessing to others.  Consider applying these approaches in your life, and see how much better your relationships can be, and how much happier you can be!

Be Reliable

Life is unpredictable.  Bad weather.  Illnesses.  A downturn in the economy.  So many things can happen in our lives that we simply cannot predict.  As a result, life can feel very out of control, at times.

That’s why if you want to be a blessing to others, Be Reliable.  Be the person who other folks can count on. 

In fact, the best thing you can be for other people is predictable and reliable.  So, meet your commitments. Be responsible. And manage your life in a calm, easy-going manner.

For example, if you’re a parent, you know how important it is to be reliable.  After all, kids crave stability.  They don’t want to deal with parents who are irresponsible or emotionally unstable. 

As a result, as a mother, I know that one of my main jobs is to be someone who my daughter can count on.  So, I meet my commitments to her.  And I do my best to be a calm, reassuring, responsible presence in her life.  Because that is the kind of parent children want and need.

The same holds true with respect to our family members, spouses and friends.  We all want to be surrounded by highly responsible, reliable individuals.  If you’ve ever had someone in your life who can’t get their act together, you know how exhausting that can be.  No one wants to be around people who are unstable and unreliable. 

Unfortunately, many of us have the mistaken belief that to have great relationships we need to be attractive, funny and interesting.  However, none of that matters if people can’t rely on you to be responsible, calm and kind. 

So, if you want to be a blessing to others, Be Reliable.  Be a rock.  Strive to be the person who other people know they can count on, no matter what.

Encourage Others

We unfortunately live in a critical, snitty world in which people are quick to criticize and slow to compliment.  And as a result, there are a lot of people in this world who have low self-esteem.  For no good reason.  So, if you want to be a blessing to others, Be an Encourager.

Unfortunately, many of us believe that if we encourage or compliment others, we somehow will diminish ourselves.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Recognizing the talents of another person does not make you any less talented!

And realize how powerful encouragement is.  For example, when I was in high school, I had an English teacher who complimented my writing one day in front of the class.  He probably didn’t think much of it at the time.  And yet, that one small compliment has inspired me to continue writing decades later.  Encouragement changes lives.

There is likely someone in your orbit who has a talent or skill that they don’t think much of.  If you want to bless them, choose to be an encourager for that person. Point out their skill or talent to them. If you do so, you potentially can change the trajectory of that person’s life. 

Now to become an encourager, you need to be on the lookout.  For instance, I go through the day attuned to what others are doing around me.  And if I see someone doing something well, I remark on it.  I don’t keep compliments to myself.  Rather, I’ve made encouraging a personal habit.

So, if you want to truly be a blessing to others and change lives for the better, Be an Encourager.  Make it a habit.  Let others regularly know what you think is great about them, and see how you truly can change someone else’s life for the better.

Be Peaceful

Being peaceful can be challenging, at times.  After all, other people can do things that are upsetting, and it’s easy to get frustrated.  So, being peaceful takes self-control.  And it takes emotional maturity. 

In fact, to be a peaceful person, you really have to be an exceptional person.  After all, most people run around telling people off when they’re annoyed.  Or they fly off the handle at the slightest frustration.  Others try to win arguments by being the loudest person in the room.  That’s how average people operate.

By contrast, exceptional people are peaceful.  They don’t become loud or aggressive simply because they’re upset.  Instead, they interact with others calmly and quietly, regardless of the circumstances.

Realize that you bless others in two ways by being peaceful.  First, when you are peaceful, you have a calming effect on others.  Because you are at ease, you make others feel at ease.

We all know this to be true.  Simply observe children and animals.  They all gravitate toward the calmest person in the room.  They want to be around that person who has self-control and whose behavior is predictable.  That is because peaceful people make others feel comfortable.

Second, by being peaceful, you can inspire others to be peaceful, as well.  My mother often used to say that we influence others far more by our example than by our words.  She was right.  When you behave in an exceptional manner by being peaceful and kind, other people will aspire to be like you.  After all, no one really wants to be average!  We all want to be exceptional, and when we see someone being exceptional, we want to be like them.

So, bless others by being peaceful.  Set an example of how to be consistently peaceful and emotionally mature no matter what is happening.   If you do so, you’ll be surprised by how you are able to influence others for the better.

Be Kind

The greatest way that you can bless others is by being kind in both word and deed.  The funny thing about kindness is this – it takes effort!  When we aren’t careful, we can make insensitive comments, or we can engage in selfish behavior. 

So, to be kind, we have to live intentionally.  We have to give a lot of thought to what we say and do throughout the day.  I often think of it as living life with a 360-degree point of view.  For me, that means being cognizant at all times of how my words and deeds are affecting those around me.  And my goal is to have a consistently positive impact on others at all times.

The amazing thing about kindness is that it’s so powerful.  Even a small, kind gesture can make another person feel loved and valued.  Try sending someone a greeting card to let them know that you were thinking of them.  Or tell the cashier at the grocery store how much you appreciate their packing your bags.  Or send someone a book in the mail that you think they might enjoy.  And then wait to see the response…

You’ll be surprised by how much people appreciate a kind gesture.  My daughter is incredibly good at surprising people with kind gestures.  For example, she knows that I love skin products. So, the other day, she had delivered to my doorstep a box of different face masks.  She’d just decided to surprise me, and I was both delighted and touched that she was thinking of me.

The problem is that we often get so caught up in our daily responsibilities that we forget to do those small, kind gestures. But realize that your kind gestures will pay off tenfold.  A simple word of appreciation to a colleague or service person will make their day.  Likewise, a card or gift sent to let someone know that you are thinking of them will make them feel like they matter to you. 

So, bless others by Being Kind.  Give some mental energy each day as to how you can bless others with kindness through both your words and your actions.

If you are seeking to be a blessing to others, consider following the approaches above.  If you do so, not only will your relationships improve, but the world will be a better place merely by your being in it. (To read about how to create a peaceful life, click here.)