There are many reasons why people choose to contribute to the well-being of others, but for me, it has never been a matter of choice so much as it has been a natural response to the life I’ve lived and the people who have shaped me. When I look back on my journey, I realize that the motivation to care for others has been born out of both joy and pain, of blessings I have received and losses I have endured. It is not about duty or obligation, but about a deep and unshakable knowing that the love, kindness, and support we give can transform lives in ways we may never fully see.
From a very young age, I was surrounded by people who embodied generosity in their actions. My family instilled in me the value of caring not just for ourselves but for those around us. My mother, in particular, has always been my greatest teacher in this. Her strength, her constant encouragement, and her way of loving without conditions showed me what it means to give from the heart. Watching her live her life with compassion and grace inspired me to understand that contributing to the well-being of others is not just something you do occasionally; it is a way of life. My chosen family, Matt and Pete, used to always remind me that true success is not measured by how much you achieve, but by how much you give back and how you treat the people who cross your path. Those words have stayed with me and continue to shape every decision I make.
But it wasn’t only the love I received that molded me—it was also the heartbreak. I’ve known loss, the kind that changes the way you see the world. When people you love deeply are taken from you, when friends and family who once stood by your side are no longer there, you begin to realize how fragile life is. That fragility makes every moment with others sacred. Losing those I’ve loved has left me with an emptiness that will never completely go away, but it has also left me with a stronger desire to be present, to give, and to love as fully as I can while I still have the chance. In many ways, my grief has become the fuel behind my compassion. Every time I extend kindness to someone else, it feels like a way of honouring those I’ve lost, a way of keeping their spirit alive through the love I share.
I’ve also been on the receiving end of compassion in moments when I needed it most. There were times in my life when I felt lost, overwhelmed, or simply tired of carrying the weight of my struggles. And yet, in those moments, someone always showed up. Sometimes it was a close friend, sometimes a stranger, but each time it reminded me that we are never truly alone. The smallest gestures—an encouraging word, a listening ear, or even just a smile—had the power to shift something inside me. Those moments taught me that we never know what someone else is going through, and that what may seem like a simple act of kindness to us can mean the world to another person. That awareness alone motivates me daily to look beyond myself and extend care to others.
There is also a profound sense of meaning that comes from contributing to others’ well-being. Life can often feel chaotic, uncertain, and unpredictable, but when I give to others—whether it’s my time, my energy, or simply my presence—it grounds me. It reminds me that no matter what I might be going through, I still have something valuable to offer. It shifts my perspective away from my own struggles and reconnects me to something larger than myself. There is an undeniable joy that comes from seeing someone else light up because of something you’ve done for them, and that joy is unlike any other. It’s the kind of joy that fills the soul, not just the moment.
I think, too, that part of my motivation comes from a belief in the ripple effect of kindness. We live in a world where it’s so easy to feel divided, where people often focus more on what separates us than what unites us. Yet, I’ve come to see that kindness has the power to bridge those divides. When you care for someone, when you show up for them without expecting anything in return, it creates a ripple. That person may then go on to show kindness to someone else, and before you know it, the impact spreads far beyond anything you could have imagined. I may never see the full outcome of what my actions inspire, but I trust in the power of that ripple. It motivates me to keep giving, because I know that even if I can’t change the world alone, I can still change one person’s world in a meaningful way.
Ultimately, contributing to the well-being of others is also what gives my own life purpose. We all search for meaning in different ways, but for me, it is through love and service that I feel most connected to who I am meant to be. I don’t see it as a sacrifice but as a privilege—that I get to share my heart, my time, and my energy with others. It reminds me that life is not about how much we can gather for ourselves but about how much we can pour out. And the beautiful thing is, the more I give, the more I feel replenished. It’s a paradox of love: the more you offer it, the more it multiplies within you.
At the end of the day, what motivates me is simple: I know what it feels like to be loved, and I know what it feels like to be broken. Both experiences have shaped me, and both push me to extend myself to others. If I can bring even a small measure of comfort, hope, or joy to someone else, then I know my life has meaning. And when my time on this earth is done, I don’t want to be remembered for what I accomplished or accumulated, but for how I made people feel, for the love I shared, and for the lives I touched along the way.
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