Sometimes all you need to do to really help someone is to listen. Never underestimate the effectiveness of a simple and heart-felt “How are you doing today?”
If you find out someone is really struggling, take the time to listen, no matter what. Be late to work. Be late getting home. You never know what kind of affect you may have by simply listening to someone who needs a few minutes of your time.
You might give a stressed out person a chance to vent, get something off of their chest and have a much better day than they were having. You might instill a little bit of hope in someone who has just about lost it. You could even save a life.
I don’t have answers for the really tough problems, and I don’t always know what to say when someone is hurting. Having the answer is NOT what it is all about. What is important is making eye contact, and really and truly listening and letting that person be heard.
http://www.save.org http://www.sprc.org/
In an Emergency, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
This is so important. I know how much it’s helped me to have an ear when I’ve needed one most.
At the very least, you can save a person’s day. Thanks for posting, Moxie!