Be less self-focused, make a difference
College students have most of their days planned out. With upcoming projects, tests and hours of reading, their time is scheduled so that they can be productive every day.
This is an excellent method to succeed academically, but it can sometimes hurt relationships and limit new friendships. Students are sometimes guilty of being more focused on their studies than on the people around them.
We The Threefold challenge students to actively look for more ways to serve others and focus less on themselves. An easy way to do this is to look for “unscripted moments” or random acts of kindness.
An unscripted moment is doing something that you did not plan on doing. It’s helping out a friend when you have an upcoming test or just spending time with someone even though you feel you have more important things to do.
Doing this will allow students to focus on others. It will remind students that connecting with people is a significant part of a the college experience and of life. In comparison, a grade received on any test or project may not matter as much in the long run. The support we get from our peers can even improve our overall academic performance by refreshing our minds and giving us encouragement.
We The Threefold understand that this can be difficult and students have busy lives, but it is important to look beyond ourselves.
Even five minutes of an unscripted moment can make someone’s day significantly better. A few weeks ago when the Pope visited the United States, USA Today ran an article stating the most moving time of his trip here were his unscripted moments.
For these reasons, We The Threefold urge students to look for ways to help others even when things do not go as planned.