How Can We Help the Helpless?

As a mother, I read with horror a news article from CNN.com last week about Masika Bermudez, a mother who found her dead eleven-year-old son Jaheem Herrera hanging from a belt in a closet. In the article, Masika said she believes that Jaheem could no longer cope with the bullying that was occurring at his elementary school and saw death as his only remaining choice. She also states that she had complained to the school officials seven or eight times, which was not enough to prevent his suicide.nnHow does this continue to happen in this day and age? It was only two weeks ago that we learned that the farmer suicides in agricultural sectors of India continue at a shocking rate while the rest of the world looks the other way. Just last week, we also learned about the suicide of Freddie Mac CFO David Kellermann, who was found dead in his own family home. All of these individuals had very different circumstances that resulted in the same fate: a sense of helplessness that drove them to take away their own lives.nnHere at Intent, we believe that our own wellness is intricately tied into the wellness of others and the planet at large. Which brings me to this week's call for content which I believe is important to meditate upon: how can we help support those in need? How can we reach out to people who are suffering from difficult external circumstances or hidden inner demons? What warning signs should we watch out for? What is the best way to bring more hope and peace to the lives of those who need our help but may be too afraid to ask?nnMore than ever, we need to realize that other people's sufferings are our sufferings, and we are directly responsible for making this world a better place. On the flip side of the coin, other people's joy are our joy. When we help other people love, we love ourselves and the world at large. Everyone wins.nnI encourage all of you to share your unique and heartfelt perspectives on how we can help the helpless, and ultimately make this world a better, more humane place. Please tag your blog posts "supporting others" and we will be rounding up the best content at the end of the week.nn Don't forget also to continue checking out the great content we have up on our "30 Days to a Greener You" series. Our support of each other should ultimately culminate in the support of our own ailing Mother Earth, who needs our support more than ever.