Welcome to The 7 Cups Values Series! (Week 1: Your Work Saves Lives)
Hello everyone, and welcome to part 1 of our 7-part 7 Cups Values Series!
Our community is built on a set of core values. They act as our foundation, guiding how we support each other, how we grow, and how we keep this space safe and welcoming.
Instead of just reading, we want to practice these values with you. Every week for the next 7 weeks, we will explore a different 7 Cups value. We’ll share stories, try small challenges, and connect over what makes this community work.
🍵 Week 1 Value: Your Work Saves Lives. At 7 Cups, this means working with purpose and stepping up to help others. Saving a life sounds like a massive undertaking, but here in our community, it is often found in simple, steady acts of support. Sometimes, an active listener, a kind word, or the gift of someone's company can be a lifeline to someone in need.
💙 This Week's Prompt: Let’s talk about the impact of small acts of care. Share a time when someone else’s simple act of kindness or support changed your day, or share how you try to bring a sense of purpose to the way you help others.
@Heather225 It's hard for me to wrap my head around and accept if I have ever been the one to save someone's literal life. I guess, for me-- it's deep. All I know is that if my actions or my words have ever made someone stop and think and change course from an action that could have gone horrifically wrong, then I am happy with that. Even if it was just one that had a change of heart. I have been there before and it's not a pleasant feeling. I do hope and I do believe wholeheartedly that I have played a part in contributing to it... but to be one, I guess part of me can't ever accept credit. I'm just one of the vessels that God continue to use me if he wishes and puts on my heart. ❤️
@Heather225 It was not a "simple act of kindness or support" that changed my day... for me, it was a case of the person changing the trajectory of my life to the point life as I knew would have never been the same. I guess look at is like dominos. If this one thing did not happen, it would not have lead to something else, and then that something else, and then eventually leading me to here where I am in life. Kidness and small gestures really can affect a person way deep down inside to where they stop and think and then don't take action... and that stopping of it is literally everything. I'm forever grateful for the people who have played a part in my life even if they were only for that season. ❤️
@Heather225
I bring hiope to new listeners needing a mentor. I provided all the help they need, answer their questions and even provide links to help them better undersgtand something. I have always loved helping others before helping myself.
@Heather225
Wow
What an amazing thought!
My nephew literally changed my life and he doesn't even know it.
He brings laughter
Mayhem.
Creativity.
Fun, into my everyday.
He taught me how to love again.
How to feel love.
He taught me how to live for the moment.
To let go of the past.
To be truly me again.
And for that I'm thankful.
He's my heart.
My soul.
And he puts the biggest smile on my face.
Even on the days where's he's having the fiftieth tantrum or wants to go for the millionth walk, I'm so greatful he's in my life 🧡
@Amanda84
❤️
When I was crying on the way to school, I'm so happy I saw my friend and I came to him and cried out to him. And he comforted me, gave me advice that helped my day a lot! Thanks to him I was able to feel better while answering the NCAE test that day. For if I didn't saw him, I would sure find it hard stop answer the test while deep inside was feeling all sad. And so, I'm grateful.😊
And when I listen to my friends, I always wanted to help them, so that's the purpose of mine. By doing the best way I can to listen to them, and provide my love and care and by knowing they are seen. And also, by seeing them happier, healed and growing ever that before is beautiful to be seen.
@Heather225 I did a lot before I reached the version today on 7 Cups. I think in real life got impacted too. I was brave to join here with the simple purpose. However, the encouragement helped me to explore myself. I still help others, but I want to limit it to let them explore themselves. I sense their story, but I can only support them in their version
What does it mean to sense their story and support them in their version?
@Heather225 I went to the store awhile back and I learned to pay it forward when someone paid for my soda and I paid it forward to someone else and helped them out it was so heart warming I will keep paying it forward.
@heather225
This value hits so close to home. 💛Sometimes we think saving a life means a big dramatic moment but here at 7 Cups, it's often a gentle 'I hear you' or a simple 'you're not alone.'
One time, a member told me that just knowing someone was on the other side, reading their words without judgment, stopped them from giving up that night. That moment changed me.
I try to bring purpose to every chat by listening like their story matters because it does. You never know which reply might become someone's reason to hold on a little longer.
Thank you for this beautiful reminder. 🌸
@Heather225
This value resonates with me greatly, since after I became a Listener, I realized I wanted to save the lives of people who were on the “edge” as it were, so I volunteered for a local crisis center, including the background check and all the training (over 30 hours of it), to learn what it is I could do to bring people “from the edge” back to a more steady state.
I can describe more of that experience for anyone who is interested, but suffice it to say, I do feel like I did touch lives and I was able to save lives, partially because the training here for Listeners is woefully inadequate to deal with these issues.
I would like to add here that for those who are persistent in seeking out information on how to be good listeners, the information is here and there are many good listeners here.
Moreover, as in life in general, one gets out of it what one puts into it.
@Heather225
I try to bring a sense of purpose by helping others in here. I try to be there whenever someone needs help or just a simple chat to let their minds off their problems for a while. I am here for every single person who needs to be heard, valued and listened at.
A simple little act of kindness by someone else to me is I suppose every single time a member I m speaking with will tell me I actually helped them Cope and they are many of them almost all of them that do it. It may not count as an act of kindness to everyone, but for me its an every day fullfelling act of kindness by people who might not even know that their words help me keep up what I am here for.
