Have you ever heard of Special Pops?
Wondering how to get a $50 Amazon Gift Card?
Find out more, what happy feet is, and the 5 ways that serving others blesses our own lives.
Welcome to Lovin My Daughter-in-law podcast, where my mother-in-law, relationship expert and master certified coach, LeAnn Austin, will help you create more love and connection with your daughter in law and everyone else you care about.
Do you have a goal you’ve been working on for a while? I just achieved a goal I’ve been inching towards for almost two years. And it’s going to help YOU if you want to have a better relationship with your daughter-in-law and others.
I wrote and published a book, and it’s ready for you to read right now. Lovin My Daughter-in-law will help you create more connection and fun in your relationship with others, especially your daughter-in-law.
If you’ve been interested in my podcast, this book is the perfect place to learn some amazing tools to increase the love you feel for others. A paperback and Kindle version are available on Amazon HERE.
From now through December 31st, if you purchase the book and leave a review on Amazon, you’ll be entered in a drawing to receive a $50 Amazon gift card.
Just screenshot me the Amazon review you submit with your name, and email it to LovinMyDIL@leannaustin.com
and P.S. This book will be a great gift to send to your mother-in-law, your daughter-in-law, or a friend too.
On to the podcast. You’re listening to Lovin My Daughter-in-law, episode #97: Special Pops
Recently, I heard about this program called Special Populations Tennis Program, shortened to Special Pops. They offer an adaptive tennis program specifically designed to share the lifetime sport of tennis with children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Now I’m blessed to know the amazing woman, Kimber, who is in charge of the program in my community, and she mentioned the need for volunteers.
I don’t know much about tennis, but I do know some amazing kids and young adults with special needs and thought this would be a great thing to volunteer for. So I asked my husband if he wanted to join me and we both went to help out with Special Pops.
I can’t tell you what an amazing experience this is to go and spend time with these incredible kids. I get to toss the ball to them and they hit it with their racket. They get so excited and some of their smiles light up the entire tennis court. They truly radiate love and it’s such a blessing to get to spend an hour with them watching them have so much fun hitting a ball.
There are some really fun terms that they teach as well, as the kids increase their tennis skills. My favorite is happy feet, where they move their feet quickly during the warm up.
You may be thinking, hey LeAnn, how is serving other people going to help me? Well, here are five ways that serving others blesses our own lives.
Number 1: Increased Happiness and Well Being
Engaging in acts of service has been linked to increased levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Helping others and contributing to the well being of the community can create a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Serving others can provide a sense of purpose and meaning in life. Knowing that one’s actions positively impact others and contribute to a greater good, can be a very powerful motivator and increase the happiness that we feel.
Number 2: Building Empathy and Compassion
Serving others fosters empathy and compassion as individuals gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by others. This can lead to stronger interpersonal relationships and a greater sense of connection. Engaging in service often involves collaboration and communication with others. This can improve social skills, teamwork, and the ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds, thus helping us fill more empathy and compassion for others as well as ourselves.
Number 3: Improved Physical Health
Some studies suggest that engaging in acts of kindness and service may have physical health benefits. The positive emotions associated with helping others can contribute to overall well being, potentially impacting factors such as cardiovascular health and immune function. Now I know doing Special Pops tennis for me is definitely a physical workout, and a heartwarming one as well.
Number 4: Positive Impact on Society
Acts of service contribute to the betterment of society. Whether through volunteer work, community projects, or simple acts of kindness, individuals can play a part in creating positive change in their local and global communities. When individuals come together for a common cause, it strengthens social bonds and fosters a sense of unity and cooperation.
And lastly, number 5: Personal Growth and Enhanced Mental Health
Serving others challenges individuals to step outside of their comfort zones, develop new skills, and gain a broader perspective of the world. It is associated with lower levels of stress and a reduced risk of depression. The act of helping can release endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that act as natural mood lifters.
My challenge this month to us all is to intentionally find ways to serve others. Figure out what that looks like for you. Is it once a day, once a week, or once a month? What is something you can do for someone else?
It doesn’t have to be a huge thing, sometimes a smile, or going out of your way to say hey. Noticing someone needing help with something and jumping in to do it. Whatever feels right to you. There are endless things we can do for others inside and outside of our own home.
There is a great site called JustServe.org And it has free service that links community volunteer needs with the volunteers. So you can go to the website and see what organizations have posted volunteer opportunities in your community. And there’s also things that you can do remotely as well. So I highly recommend you check that out JustServe.org and I’ll put that in the show notes as well.
I love this quote by Mahatma Gandhi. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Hmmm, something to think about.
Have a good one y’all, and here’s to service and love. If this podcast resonates with you, share it with a friend and leave a review.
If you enjoy this podcast, check out LeAnn’s Lovin My Daughter-in-law program where she coaches and teaches a variety of ways to have more fun and connection in our relationships. LeAnn also shares the five secrets she uses to create a beautiful relationship with me and her other daughter-in-law. She’s the real deal. I highly recommend you check this out.
And if you want one easy question you can keep in your back pocket and use to increase the love you feel for your daughter-in-law today, go to leannaustin.com and get the one question.
