A labor of love has many hands and hearts at work. There may be one true leader for the effort but it is quite never without the support of at least a precious few others.
My labor of love started over 4 months ago — with an idea. Ideas, I truly believe, are the beginning of everything. But those fragile beginnings need intense love and attention so as to let your ideas bloom and blossom. In this case, the idea was a seed for my first product and for Prolific Living’s first offering to its beloved readers and followers — and after 4 grueling months of a true labor of love, the Fear-Crushing Travel Guide launches on Friday, April 29th.
The product creation process, which I shall document for posterity sometime after launch in case you are itching to create something of your own, naturally taught me countless lessons. So much learning to absorb and to put to good use. So many exciting new things to integrate into future products and services. Every lesson was invaluable but only one came as a complete surprise.
I am still incredulous as I think about it: To what lengths some people go to offer you a true helping hand!
I thought I was good at helping others. In fact, I took a little pride in the ways that I helped others and generously offered of my time and knowledge. I did until the helping hands of amazing support and guidance were extended to me during the pre-launch preparation phase for the Fear-Crushing Travel Guide. Without this help, I would have still launched a product, sure. I would have eventually figured it out and offered a useful guide, yes. And I would have found a way to learn from all the extra mistakes that I was spared from making, thanks to those helping hands. Without help, we manage to survive and get by, no doubt.
Except that’s not the point at all. The point is how far some people go out of their way to help us and how they leave us better than they found us through their beautiful desire to help. The point is how much genuine kindness and generosity abounds in like-minded communities and how impossible it is to ever put a price on it.
I wonder if I have done enough in the past to warrant such a show of support and such acts of kindness and I marvel at how some people around me manage to find ways to lift their place in my heart to an even higher ground.
What do you do when someone shows you an amazing act of kindness and an incredible show of support?
For me, showing my gratitude in return sometimes does not seem enough. Saying thank you profusely is imperative but seems inefficient, compared to what they put forth to guide me through a challenging patch. A promise to return the favor is a natural follow-up but still lacks in expressing how grateful I feel. I do all of these, of course, but beyond that, the greatest outcome of this may just be how committed I feel in fiercely helping others in return. Who knows, maybe this will create a pattern of generosity and true support that will touch people far outside of my inner circle.
Now that makes me feel a little better about proper reciprocation!
Do you go out of your way to help others?
Do you take time out of your super busy schedule to truly help someone else find their way?
Do you know how far those efforts go in building rock-solid relationships along with a sense of duty and trust?
This post is dedicated to all of you my dear friends and peeps who helped with the preparation, reviews, and launch of The Fear-Crushing Travel Guide. It was particularly inspired by one amazing supporter and friend, Sid Savara, for his extensive advice and guidance. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!