I promise you that it’s not a self-help article. To be honest, it’s quite the opposite.

For me, one of the best skills that someone can develop through time is about how to be more human. And I know that it can sound a little bit confusing as we are all humans, right? (If you are something else, keep reading, it can fit in your species too!).

As we get older, it’s normal to lose ourselves in our own problems, needs, and goals, forgetting that everyone is also going through something. Forgetting that we are not an island.

In such a fast-paced world where connections can be made in a matter of seconds and everyone is reachable just by a click or two, are we really connecting with each other?

That was a question that someone asked me quite recently and made me think about my interactions and how meaningful they actually are, triggering the thought about the power of helping others.

Simple actions can make the day of someone. A smile; asking about their day; complimenting their job, or even a new haircut. It is hard to forget someone that you had a pleasant interaction with.

But of course, sometimes it takes a little more effort than that.

I talk with thousands of people every month as part of my job, and I personally love it. To hear their stories, to learn something, to share a laugh, to make a connection. Everyone is different in some specific way, with characteristics, traits, visions of the world. But there is something that everyone has in common.

They just want to trust and share.

Sometimes during a chat on an interview, someone brings up something personal that is bothering them, something work-related that happened and they feel safe to share, or my cat simply jumps on my lap during the call and becomes the subject of it for a few minutes. It is beautiful the difference that is made when someone notices that the other person is a human just like them, and it’s willing to actually listen.

It creates a bond of trust. You create empathy.

Through empathy, you truly connect with others. And that guides me to something that is the greatest sign of success. The power of helping others. When people see you as someone that helps, you know that you are on a good path.

And if you are not willing to help others just for the sake of it. Well, take this secret with you. When you truly help someone, it contributes to making you an authority figure on the subject, they will easily recall you when something related pops up, or even feel in debt.

Helping others create opportunities.

You never know the impact that you can cause with a simple gesture, but you can be certain that through small pieces of kindness and help, you will no longer be a single island in a vast ocean, through the connections you make, you become bigger and stronger and the world as whole thank you for that.

Don’t wait until a spider bites your hand or you have a trauma with bats to exercise your power. Just share this with your friends and think with yourself “How can I help someone today?”

“Know all the theories, master all the techniques, but as you touch a human soul be just another human soul.” – Carl Jung