Just Do Good Stuff Today
This week, I watched a wonderful news segment on television about a man named Craig Reagan. Craig is 56 years old and was diagnosed with ALS in 2016. He is a person with an uplifting personality and a deep feeling of gratitude for all he has had in his life, especially his wife and family caregiver, Nancy, and good friend, Taco his dog.
Over the years, one special task Craig hadn't gotten to was refurbishing his 1973 Mustang, a car he loved and had since high school. Although, in complete disrepair, Craig's Mustang was a treasure to him.
It seems over the years, Craig, always a good guy, had wonderful friends, especially a group of 6 buddies from high school. Well, these boys decided to give Craig the ride of his life. They took on the responsibility of bringing his treasured Mustang to life. Over the next year, they personally spent hundreds of hours working on the car and enlisted friends and people in the community to raise money for parts and the fine touches of the refurbishment.
On the day of the unveiling, which many people from the community attended, the tarp was removed and what appeared was Craig's 1973 Mustang, looking like it had just rolled off a showroom floor. To say Craig was both overjoyed and overcome with gratitude is an understatement. In fact, Nancy said "It was almost like a piece of Craig came back to life." This same feeling was reflected when Craig was driving with the interviewer who asked how does being in this car make you feel? With a smile on his face, Craig's response was simple..."I feel like a teenager again."
Before closing the segment, the interviewer had a conversation with the 6 buddies. Asking why they took on such a large undertaking, the consensus was, and I am paraphrasing, when you learn what has happened to a good friend you want to do something special. It doesn't have to be a task this large just doing something good. As one of the guys said, you need to think about doing something good for people...Just Do Good Stuff Today! There is no better medicine on earth.
The beauty of this story lies in the last sentence, "There is no better medicine on earth." This is so true, both for Craig and for the community that made a dream come true for a friend who is having serious health challenges. This selfless effort filled the hearts of all involved. The feeling underneath the story of Craig and his friends is one we should embrace and try to replicate.
Last month, Dr. Stephen Trzeciak, the co-author of the excellent book Wonder Drug, was a guest on my podcast to speak about the physical and emotional benefits that result when we do acts of kindness for others. Sound familiar?
Throughout the book, the scientific evidence is amazing on how the body and mind positively responds to our acts of kindness. In fact, the physical and emotional health benefits resulting from what they refer to as living a Live to Give, or other-focused life includes helping prevent or reverse burnout, anxiety and depression--the types of disorders that easily take joy from our lives. Additionally, offering these acts of kindness will at the same time contribute to you and the person you helped feel calmer healthier and happier. (By the way, looking at the video link, is there even a moment of doubt that this was not the case for Craig's buddies and caring community!)
I can hear it from my desk, but Victor as a family caregiver I already give so much of my time and caring and now you are asking me to give more to others? First, I am not asking this as a chore, but as an opportunity to experience a feeling of a win:win.
First, as Drs. Trzeciak and Mazzarelli say...start small! Please know I am not asking you to refurbish a car, or painting someone's house. I am asking you to experiment, and perhaps start by holding the door open for someone, or saying good morning and giving a smile to a stranger. Something you may, or may not be doing already; however, consciously making this effort to help someone else feel happier, which will do the same for you along the way. Try doing this for 5 days straight and see if you feel differently through this daily exchange and acknowledgement of others.
Dr. Adam Grant, a social psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, has studied works of altruism and calculated that "only sixteen minutes a day of showing kind acts, compassion and selfless service for others can lead to a long life of health, wellness, happiness and success."
Drs. Trzeciak and Mazzarelli call this The Sixteen-Minute Prescription... and gang, this is definitely a prescription worth taking. This I guarantee!!
Help others. Help yourself.
