PEr Chronicles: The Power of Help

Post Malone has had a blockbuster year. The past four months have seen Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Morgan Wallen all duet with the same face-tattooed star. First, there was the irresistibly catchy Beyoncé collab “Levii’s Jeans.” Then, there was the moody and wistful Taylor Swift feature “Fortnight.” And most recently, there was the upbeat country bop alongside Morgan Wallen in the form of “I Had Some Help.”

It is a funny thing I have observed about life – mistakes are almost always one’s own responsibility, but one’s successes and worthwhile achievements are rarely accomplished without the help of others.

Every dreamer has to have a cheerleader or, as one of my friends likes to say, a “balcony person,” the one who is sitting on the balcony screaming, “You can do it! C’mon! Keep going!” Throughout our lives, we will switch back and forth between dreamer and cheerleader. Sometimes, we’ll be the one chasing our heart’s calling while other times we’ll be the one who gives the extra push to the dreamer.

The problem is that when you are the outside observer and you can see that somebody is on a losing path, you are likely to think that withholding the hard truth is the nice thing to do, because you know it will hurt them to hear it. But in sparing their feelings, in trying to be nice, you’re denying them the opportunity to see what you see.

The reason you’re trying to spare their feelings is because you care for them. But you’re only sparing their feelings in the short run. They are hurtling toward a future where they will fail, and that will hurt them much more.

We all need someone who cares for us but who also understands that it’s better for our long-term happiness to speak out loud the unpleasant truth when the path we are on is one we need to abandon.

Most of us aren’t lucky enough to have someone of high stature play that role, but we should all try to find someone to be that person in our life who tells us the truth, whether it’s a close friend, a mentor, a coworker, a sibling or a parent. They just have to be someone who has our long-term best interests at heart and is willing to tell us what we need to hear, not what we want to hear.

That’s why I am so proud of the role I play for many others and why I consider it such a big win when I can offer fresh perspective.

What moves a person from success to significance? Making a difference in the lives of other people. Give of your time and give of your talents to make a difference in other people’s lives. No matter how tough times are for you, there's someone who's hurting even worse.

As a child, my father used to tell me, “Whatever you give to another will return to you ten times.” Life has taught me that it is a wise and true statement. Another saying I recall from my childhood is “You get what you give.” When you give to assist someone else’s need, you learn very quickly that the satisfaction of giving is greater than the satisfaction of having.

The good we do is never lost; it never dies. In other people, in other places, in other times – the good we do lives on forever.

Be the difference that makes the difference!