What's the meaning of this?

"I hate my job. I can't wait till I retire so I can do something meaningful. Something that helps people."

I've worked with a lot of different people in a lot of different jobs, and this is something I hear over and over.

Sad, isn't it? To think that we can't do anything meaningful without having a lot of time. Yet there are billions of people who believe it. (Based on anecdotal evidence — I'd say more than half the people I've talked to believe it.)

It's a faulty belief. Sure, if you really believe it, it's true. You make it true. But it's an easy enough belief to challenge. An easy enough belief to change. And beliefs that are easy to change are rare.

Here's what you do:

Sometime over the next day, do something nice for a stranger.

It could be paying the toll for the person behind you. Helping someone carry their groceries to the car. Offering a sincere compliment.

Save the emotional experience. Write down how you feel.

This should be done as soon as possible, so the emotional response is still strong. Are you happy? Proud? Connected? You don't need to use a lot of words — just enough to tell you how you feel. After you write the emotions, briefly write down what you did.

Read it —out loud — to yourself.

What would it be like if you felt this way on a daily basis? If you spent just five minutes doing something nice for someone else, and reflecting on how it makes you feel?

Rinse and repeat.

Do this again every day for a week. Then for a month. A year. A lifetime. You may not choose to write down your emotions every day, but you can still savor them.

It's that easy. Spend just five minutes helping someone else in some small and unexpected way, and you can change your life.

What can you do to add meaning to your life in just five minutes?

I did what?

Sometimes you don't even know you make a difference.

Not long ago a co-worker and I were sent to pick up a sheet of foam core mounting board for a presentation. I had purchasing authority, he had car keys and knowledge of exactly what he needed. It took just a few minutes to get to the frame shop. My co-worker told the proprietor what he needed and she went to the back to find it for him. I paid for the foam core when she brought it out. While I signed the credit card slip, my co-worker picked up the 3'x4' piece. We thanked the lady who had helped us, then headed to the vehicle.

He opened the hatch of the SUV and finessed the foam core into it. I opened the back passenger door and pulled it over the seat back so he could close the hatch. We got into the vehicle and headed back to work.

He stopped in front of the side door and we both got out. I waited for him to unlock the hatch, then pulled out the foam core and headed toward the building.

"You're gonna' carry it in?" Surprise colored the question.

"Yeah." I could feel the well, duh look on my face. He had to park the SUV; while he did that, I'd carry the mounting board. Made sense.

"Wow! You're great."

And he meant it. He was that surprised. I don't know if his wife and kids don't do small things like that, or if the folks he works closely with at work leave everything to him. I do know he was genuinely surprised and appreciative that I didn't leave the board for him to carry.

Like I said, sometimes you don't know when you're going to make a difference. Live a good life, help people--even with seemingly tiny things--and I guarantee that you'll have plenty of moments that make differences you never expect and may never see.

What small thing might you have done today that made a difference for someone else?