Life is slowly, very slowly, working its way to the new normal. Some of us will be working from home from now on, or at least in the foreseeable future. That frees up a lot of time for some people. The time you spent getting ready for work, commuting, and winding down from a day at the office can now be counted as “free time” for many. Are you making the most of that time?
What’s It All About Anyway?
Young professionals – professionals in general – spend many, if not most, of their hours concerned about building their careers and reaching goal after goal. While in and of itself there is nothing wrong with that, it can become easy to lose sight of other things in life.
JCI is all about helping you develop your professional self. Part of that has to do with discovering greater meaning in other areas of your life as well. You want to have a positive impact on your community, and you want to have experiences that enrich your life. Well here’s an idea that can be fun and it is meaningful, especially in these days of isolation for older people.
Letting Your Inner Child Come Out and Play
If you have even mediocre artistic or creative abilities, and just about everyone does, put them to use by making blanket cards for people residing in assisted living and memory care facilities. A blanket card is one that can be given to anyone; you don’t have to know the person. The greeting can be specific (like Happy Birthday) or general (Hello There.)
Cards can be simple or elaborate as you like: little works of art, simple doodles (who doesn’t like Zentangles), or merely words. Make a collage of pictures or pull out those stamps and ink pads that have been collecting dust. You may even want to take out the crayons, though you may have to ask your kid’s permission to use them!
A Meaningful Endeavor
Make a call to a memory care facility or the VA and let them know you have cards for the residents. You can package them up in larger envelopes and label them, so the workers know what kind of cards they are. While this activity may not seem like much, imagine the joy experienced by the recipient when he or she receives a card on a birthday or just out of the blue.
Some residents in these facilities do not have families visiting. Some feel alone and forgotten. The card they get from you can make all the difference in the world.
In your journey to become the best in your field, remember it is always a good thing to be willing to give back. Putting good out in the world is one of the best ways to do that. Discover more about JCI and what we can do to help you when you give us a call.
