One of the best feelings in the world is the fulfillment of being able to help other people. Fortunately, helping others can be done through various means. You can help alleviate momentary inconveniences or discomfort, provide needs, and even change lives for the better. The latter, which does not require financial capability, is obviously of much gravity and is much more fulfilling than just providing partial comfort.
The will to change, however, is up to the person who needs it. As someone on the outside, you can only try to influence the person to want to change but you have no right to impose the change you think the former needs. In other words, you have to know whether they want to change or not before you can help with the process. It is very invasive of someone’s personal life if you try to help them change when, in the first place, they do not see anything wrong with themselves. So what are the possible ways that you can do to help the person change for the better if the need arises?
- Know where the person is coming from. Before you can figure out a way to help a person in changing his negative attitude, behavior or way of life, you have to go back to the reason why they develop such acts in the first place. Understanding their background or their experiences will help you identify the right solution to the challenge.
- Provide long-term solutions. More often than not, people go back to what they are used to or what’s more comfortable for them. The solution to this is making them realize that one of the best ways to switch to a better direction is by providing them with new habits that can replace the old one permanently but can lead to a better outcome.
- Be a role model. Sometimes, helping people to change is more effectively done by showing them an example. Instead of just directing or advising the person you want to change, you have to show it through your own actions. You have to be a better person and show how your decision to do the right thing affects your life and the people around you.
We all have our fair share of negative traits. However, this should not hinder us from helping others overcome their own. As we open ourselves to be helped by others to overcome our own weaknesses and change for the better, we are showing them how it is okay to receive help.
How else can you help people change for the better?
(Photo by Ave Calvar Martinez from Pexels)
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