By Monica Batchelor, guest blogger
Live Well Kitsap Community Connector
Let's serve in the community. Ok! What should we do? Trash pickup. Ok! I've never gone out of my way, intentionally, to pick up trash in the community. If my friends are planning it, I'll show up, for sure. I absolutely KNOW, in my head, that service is always a good thing. I have heard that the feel good hormones that flow through us doing something good is healing for us AND the world. Serving others can get you out of a funk or just OUT doing good if there is no funk to work through. Whichever is needed, service is a GOOD thing to do. I naturally said, yes!
Live Well Kitsap Trash pickup at The Trails in Silverdale March 2023
My lessons from being in the moment and paying attention to my thoughts and feelings, as well as reflecting on the experience afterwards.
1. You do not need many people to make a HUGE difference. There were 3 of us that showed up for this opportunity to serve. In an hour and a half we picked up SO MUCH trash! We have pictures for evidence. Don't wait for a huge amount of people to do something good. It takes one person to make a positive impact out there, but it's more fun with a friend or two.
2. We live in a community that is hurting. How do I know? Just picking up trash shows me that people are hurting. People that are filled with love and gratitude and feel whole, would not hurt and harm our beautiful community with littering. I will show up kind in my community to all that I encounter.
3. I felt really good doing something good. Thank you Live Well Kitsap for offering this as a way to serve. After some tough moments at work and at home this past week, to do something helpful where I couldn't do it WRONG and wonder if I was getting it 'right', the feel goods were flowing. I started to have more positive thoughts flowing and I know that matters. May I choose more positive thoughts in my thinking as I show up at work and in my family.
4. Sunshine and outdoors is NEEDED. We were blessed with a beautiful day for this service opportunity. How can I choose outdoors more for myself and my family as we move into Spring, because that sure felt AMAZING.
5. A few people expressed gratitude from their vehicles as they saw us picking up trash. May I be so BOLD as to express my gratitude to all those around me that are doing kind things and saying kind things.
6. I have a desire for deep friendships in my community. They are built one experience at a time. This is a memorable experience. I am so grateful I showed up for it.
Together we CAN Live Well Kitsap!