Isolation to Inclusion

"Be  the one who nurtures and builds.   Be the one who has an understanding

and forgiving heart, one who looks for the best in people.  Leave people better

than you found them."

Marvin J. Ashton

Reaching out to help a person is not the same action as enabling or rescuing.  When we extend ourselves to assist, we are not promoting helplessness.  To enable a person, we allow them to dodge a responsibility and to rescue someone gives the message they are powerless. If we acknowledge their strength, they will experience ours.

To successfully help, we include lifting spirits and building hope.  We do not take power away, we encourage a person to utilize the power they have with our assistance, until we can step away.  The touch of our hand speaks volumes and kind words builds confidence.  

Using the opportunity to reach out to someone, we can use our skills to change immediate perception.  If someone has fallen, physically or intellectually, they feel foolish and embarrassed.  When we place our concentration on encouragement and minimize the incident, we help the person to move forward.  Touch and kind words move the fallen from isolation to inclusion.