Part IV: Charting a Course for All of Us

@GlenM

What brought you to 7 Cups? 

The thing that brought me to 7 Cups was that I wanted to be able to help,
to help someone feel seen and heard, and to give them the time they need to
heal from what struggles they're going through, have gone through in the past as well
as guiding them in finding their own answers to the questions that soar in their mind.
I wanted to be there for someone the way no one was for me, and that's what I happily do. 
So I searched for a place where I could do that, and Google brought me to you all, 
to this amazing community that is filled with people from all over the world.
People who are here to get support because they feel alone in this world, which
is an awful feeling to have. And if I can make that change for just a single person, then
that's something that brings me endless joy. I am here to help. 

When was a time you gave freely to someone else, and how did it make you feel?

I do that daily, not only on here but in my own life as well, I do make sure to 
have boundaries of course, not only for myself but others as well, because that's the 
key to healthy communication, it's like the foundation for good communication. 
The feeling is amazing, it's in it's own a sense of peace and kindness. 

Closing Reflections: 

What's one insight from this part that really resonated with you?

The part where we can clearly see how giving our time, volunteering here is 
such a wonderful way to be a part of a solution to one of the worlds challenges. 
What we do here is important, it will always be important.

How will you carry this new insight forward to support yourself or others in our community?

I will keep on keeping on, do what I do best, help the way I can help. 
If I can help improve something, help make sustainable changes and 
support this community in its growth, then I happily do so. 
✨💙✨
✨

@GlenM

“Imagine we’re all little boats sailing down the same river. When one boat shares its light, the whole river shines brighter. Sometimes your boat might feel tired, but the river’s current—made of everyone’s kindness—helps carry you forward. Every time you listen, share, or help, you’re adding to that current. Together, we make sure no boat sails alone.”

Part 3: Questions 

What brought you to 7 Cups? 

I can't remember how I first learned about 7 Cups other than it was while I was a student. Covid and its effect were what brought me back to 7 Cups. What keeps me coming back is that I am drawn here by the idea of community care—of listening and being listened to. Being here I choose to be part of a space where empathy isn’t just a word but a practice, where people can show up for each other in small but meaningful ways.

When was a time you gave freely to someone else, and how did it make you feel?

I remember offering my time to someone who felt invisible in their struggles. I didn’t have solutions, but I gave them my full attention. It made me feel grounded—like my presence was enough, and that simple act of listening could ripple outward into hope.

Who is your hero? Who is someone who inspires you to paddle?

My heroes are everyday people who keep showing up with kindness even when life is heavy. They remind me that resilience isn’t about perfection, but about persistence in compassion.

Our collective mission is to scale compassion. What does 'scaling compassion' mean to you, and what's one small way you contribute to this big mission?

Scaling compassion means multiplying kindness, so it doesn’t stop with one person—it becomes a current that carries many. One small way I contribute is by reframing difficult emotions into language that empowers rather than isolates.

Thanks for the series. This is my answer:

Questions

1. What brought you to 7 Cups?

_I want to find a community for communicating and connection, especially an international community

_Explorated on 7 cups, and it wasn’t only chatting, it had a mission a bit similar to my talent, so I think I could be helpful

_7 cups almost depend on creativity, so I love it

_I believe I can learn by working here and helping others

_I joined so many international communities before, so I understand how to talk to foreigners, and 7 cups has so many countries

2. When was a time you gave freely to someone else, and how did it make you feel?

I feel my energy is better, younger, and healthier by laughing or smiling

3. What 'surplus' do you bring to the 7 Cups community (e.g., a surplus of time, a specific lived experience, or simply a patient ear)? How does sharing it make you feel?

My surplus is flexible because I don’t know what I will face. I feel interested

4. Think of your M’s (on or off 7 Cups). What are they? My Mentor… Map… My Mission… My Mountain Haven…

·       My Mentor: I don’t know, but I can do what I love

·       Map: Daily plan

·       Mission: I don’t know either

·       Mountain Heaven: All things I have now

5. Who is your hero? Who is someone who inspires you to paddle?

My hero is all the people who raised me.  Only I inspire me to paddle first

6. Our collective mission is to scale compassion. What does 'scaling compassion' mean to you, and what's one small way you contribute to this big mission?

My scaling compassion is the number of depression members/guests who come to me. I just be who I am and talk to them with the light.

7. What is a 'Big Rock' you want to prioritize? How do you make sure you schedule it first?

My Big Rock is my improvement. In my situation, if you want to grow yourself, it’s a big sacrifice, even in a dangerous way. I make sure by their belief, well it’s hard to explain

8. What are some Distractions interrupting you?

My unfortunate mistake for getting too caught up in distractions.

9. What are some Waste items taking over other quadrants that you can move today?

I need to have the courage not to avoid activities

Part 4: Closing Reflections:

1. What's one insight from this part that really resonated with you?

The part of the big rock: “I make sure by their belief,” I was just created this.

2. How will you carry this new insight forward to support yourself or others in our community?

Respect the new culture and understand their talk without yelling at them. I used to yell at people because of their arrogance. 

@GlenM

·         What brought you to 7 Cups? 

First I heard about 7Cups in this year January, when I participated at an online course, where the trainer mentioned it and I became curious, I instantly searched it. It took around a month to think about joining, and then when I joined in February, I started this wonderful journey with my first conversations, trainings, badges and 7Cups gave me so many great talks, self-reflection times and satisfaction that I never regretted trying it out.

·         When was a time you gave freely to someone else, and how did it make you feel?

I regularly give my time freely to other people, mainly my students. After my class they usually stay, ask my opinion or share something from their life, they give feedback. For me these are those moments when we connect and I know that it’s worth it for me and for them as well.

·         Who is your hero? Who is someone who inspires you to paddle?

My hero is my Dad. He is my role model, my important person, my safe haven. He is not a man of words, but he always shows that he’s caring and supports me, and he is very proud of the person I became. I am also doing 7Cups for him or the people like him, as I know that not everybody is good with words, but with open mind and active listening they can open up and share what’s bothering them.  

• What brought you to 7 Cups? 

   I think because I really wanted to help  others out during hard times.

  • Who is your hero? Who is someone who inspires you to paddle?

     There are some listeners  here on cups i do look up to and makes me want to be a  better listener. Also  there are someone members are true role models  on how to a better  person and these members are inspirational.

    • When was a time you gave freely to someone else, and how did it make you feel?

       Helping out in lsr and welcoming people when enter room.

      this section. Made me want to post to thank all people helped me on my journey on cups.

@GlenM

What brought me to seven cups was wanting to spread some cheer and a smile in an ever increasingly lonely world!

To give back!

I've spent most of my life wading, with no paddle, no assistance, always navigating rough terrains, rowing my own boat and I learnt I couldn't do it anymore.

My paddle became my family.

Opening up.

Letting someone else take the oars and not doing all the work alone!

💖💜

What brought you to 7 Cups?

Having to deal with depression at a very young age, and have it take over two thirds of my life to this day. Without support and understanding from school friends back then, nor any support from my family. I turned online, searched places to see if there was a platform that I could receive the support I longed for, to help with my depression. I've joined Depression groups before I found 7 Cups in 2017. Since then, I had come off from decades of medication, and found several supportive members here that helped me through the toughest times and are still around to this day. I am forever grateful to have found 7 Cups.

What 'surplus' do you bring to the 7 Cups Community?

At one point, I was a Forum Supporter for the Students Community. Sharing my experiences as a student, throughout all my schooling years, from teenager to college to trade school, to returning to studies after working a few years. Although my role did not last very long, as my work began to drain my energy and time, I couldn't keep up with requirements to keep the role. During my time as a Forum Supporter, I tried to help the students with my own experiences, share with them what worked for me, and hope that it would help them think of ways that works for them too. 

What's one insight from this part that really resonated with you?

The phrase "vision of better future" resonated most with me. If referring to 7 Cups, ever since I became a member, it has come a long way. Always making changes to better accommodate the needs of members. It truly is creating a better future for people around the world to have access to resources and support for their mental health struggles.

"Vision of better future" is also how I see my career. My mindset foresees the future and not the impact of changes I am making in the present. No matter which station I am assigned to, it's not all about me and wanting to show off how much work I've done. In the end, it's about improving the workflow, being productive and efficient. In a hospital setting, and the department I work in, it's all about patient safety. The "better future" is on the receiving end, the patients, children. Our future generation, the ones who are able to be healthy and grow to become amazing people. That is the vision, that is the better future. Being able to be a part of that creation, is the most rewarding part of my career. That is my drive, my motivation, my passion. 

@GlenM

@GlenM

May the river waters and the journey be healing.

@GlenM

• What brought you to 7 Cups? 

  Just like the answers before me, I think for me it is also the wish to add a tiny bit of good to the world, to shine the lantern for someone else. All 'this' comes late for me in life, in a time when the riverbed is widening, allowing to redirect the kayak. 

• When was a time you gave freely to someone else, and how did it make you feel?

  There was a time when I was studying, the month was always longer than the money I earned. Friends would often invite me for dinner on weekends, as otherwise it was jam on toast. I cannot forget this, so I like to invite people and feed them. Also, my family of origin kept to themselves a lot, whereas now I enjoy getting to know people and also connecting them with each other, preferably over a meal :) 

• What 'surplus' do you bring to the 7 Cups community (e.g., a surplus of time, a specific lived experience, or simply a patient ear)? How does sharing it make you feel?

  The idea, that we all give from or surplus - it resonates so strongly with me. In real life, I might give food, fun, something I have and someone else needs (be it a power drill or a skill to help them out). In volunteering I give time, knowledge, dedication, and most importantly the warmth that comes from the heart. 

• Think of your M’s (on or off 7 Cups). What are they? My Mentor… Map… My Mission… My Mountain Haven…

  My mentors: There are several, some of them don't even know I think of them as such. Just exploring what they would do or suggest in my place, helps me.

  My map: Family are fixtures on my map, close friends as well. The map comes with a compass, pointing to my North Star.

  My mission: I lead a small, happy, colourful life - if I can help someone see theirs is too, that would count as a successful mission.

  My mountain haven: It sounds cheesy, but I will write it anyway... Getting out of my kayak for a while and rolling out my mat at the river bank (every day, but the saying is true - the most difficult asana is to step on the mat).

• Who is your hero? Who is someone who inspires you to paddle?

  I find people in their 70s, 80s or 90s very inspiring. When they start talking about their lives, there are so many lived experiences, so many twists and turns, rapids and cliffs in their river stories. They might have been young in different times but that does not mean there was less challenge.

  
  

• Our collective mission is to scale compassion. What does 'scaling compassion' mean to you, and what's one small way you contribute to this big mission?

  Could we visualize it as Newton's Cradle? Or rather like a set of billiards, where one kind action leads to a chain reaction in a positive sense?

• What is a 'Big Rock' you want to prioritize? How do you make sure you schedule it first?

  One of the Big Rocks I tend to leave out for too long is self-care - and also tech setups and admin stuff. All of this is of course not ideal.

• What are some Distractions interrupting you?

  I still tend to get distracted by 'the unimportant', being told again and again 'not to sweat the small stuff'. So, yeah, that is a field for growth.

• What are some Waste items taking over other quadrants that you can move today?

  Social media (I know, I know)

Part 4: Closing Reflections: 

• What's one insight from this part that really resonated with you?

  Reflecting on the term gift economy, I realized how much is actually already happening, around me and everywhere. Made me smile.

• How will you carry this new insight forward to support yourself or others in our community?

  Hopefully, I can be of help and support.