There’s no doubt about it: doing something good gives one a sense of purpose.
As Norman Vincent Peale put it, ‘The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.’
Peale’s assertion is now supported by science as the findings of a study titled, Is purpose in life associated with less sleep disturbance in older adults? by authors Arlener Turner, Christine Smith and Jason Ong revealed that older adults who feel they have a purpose in life have a better quality of sleep.
At the frontlines of our communities, we community journalists are witness to those serving their various purposes. This past week, this newsroom has reported on St Ninian’s Presbyterian Church in Parkhurst handing out hot dogs to passersby, a woman assisting animals in Bloubosrand, and our publication, Fourways Review, teamed up with Montecasino to inspire reading among Diepsloot pupils.
One image that certainly stood out was that of the City of Joburg’s Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba sweeping Midrand’s New Road on 28 October. This was part of the monthly A Re Sebetseng cleanup campaign. If you didn’t catch him there, you may have spotted him cleaning Diepsloot or on William Nicol Drive in Fourways or at an informal taxi rank at the corner of Cambridge and Witkoppen roads in Paulshof.
In launching the campaign in September, Mashaba said, “A Re Sebetseng, let us all work to make Joburg better, together.”
In a previous column, I wrote that the campaign provided a platform to empower citizens by encouraging them to participate. It does. But the mayor’s active involvement shows he does not exempt himself from participating and, in doing so, he exemplifies the campaign is bigger than any one person and its purpose is aimed at creating the greater good.
Such do-good acts that give one a sense of purpose in our communities bring to life Nelson Mandela’s words, ‘In Africa, there is a concept known as ubuntu – the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; that if we are to accomplish anything in this world, it will, in equal measure, be due to the work and achievement of others.’
I’d love to hear how you are giving back in your community. Tweet @DpDaniella
