Caring

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." - Leo Buscaglia

Last Friday morning I participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. I was nominated by good friend Mark Young from Belize. I dedicated my participation in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to my loving and caring mother who passed away in February 2009 from complications related to polymyositis, a rare inflammatory disease that causes muscle weakness and tissue damage.

For a period of about two weeks I had seen numerous videos on Facebook and other social media as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral. I had seen celebrities after celebrities poured buckets of ice on themselves as they were challenged one after another to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The aim of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is help to raise awareness of and donation for research on ALS. Over the period of the campaign I have seen ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos that were funny, epic failure, informative and educational as well as inspirational.

I have to admit that initially I thought it was silly for so many people to be pouring buckets of ice on themselves and then posting videos on Facebook and other social media. However, as campaign gained traction it struck me that the reason most people were participating was because they care about others. Let face it as Anthony J. D'Angelo said without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is about our community. I participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge because I care about people in my community that are affected by ALS.

My participation allowed me to also do a little more as I used my video to speak about the lessons I learned from my mother’s illness. One of the important lessons I learned from my mother’s illness which is relative to ALS patients is that patients with terminal or chronic illnesses need to be treated with dignity. They have to depend on others every minute of their lives. Simple things such as brushing their teeth, drinking a cup of tea or taking a shower that so many of us take for granted, ALS patients require help and care with.

When we care about others we are running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people that brings happiness. Care, compassion and kindness were virtues imparted on me by mother. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge provided me with a vehicle to share my mother’s legacy of caring with others.
After more than two weeks of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos I can safely say that most people participated because their guiding principles in life are to be honest, genuine, thoughtful and caring. Caring brings a sense of joy and contentment.

How do you show that you care for others?

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.