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I was certain that cooler weather would be here by now. I mean, it’s almost Halloween. It should be cool, right?

I don’t operate well in the heat. I learned that from an early age. The summer before I turned 16, I worked at my dad’s shop to save money to pay for my car insurance. At that point I realized that air condition and I would have to be lifelong friends.

When the cooler weather sets in, it is almost as if another ‘Chris’ emerges. Will you find me working outside in the yard voluntarily and enjoying it? Definitely. Will I willingly ride my bike or walk in the neighborhood? You bet. Will I find myself grilling food for dinner? You know it.

Not only does this time of year bring bearable weather, but it also ushers in the holiday season and I honestly believe that is truly the real reason I enjoy this time of year the most. While we should focus on helping others year-round, the desire to do so becomes much more prevalent as the holidays descend upon us. It’s almost as if goodwill begins to overpower complacency and indifference.

I love the impact this mindset change has on our area. But I do have to ask the question, what if we approached the whole year with same fervor as we approach helping others during the holidays. Please don’t get me wrong, our community, in my opinion, does a far superior job of this than most communities do. I just want to consider what if we focused on it even more? What sort of greater impact could we have if we everyone lived every day with this mentality?

Does it take work to think of others first? Yes, it does. We are wired to think of ourselves first. The world hammers us with that message daily. It takes commitment. It takes time. It takes focus. In the end though, the reward is far greater than the cost.

I challenge everyone to actively try to adjust your thought process. Life is a growth process. We should always be changing. We should always be focusing on becoming better versions of ourselves.

Check out James 2:14-16.