Steven LaChance Blog

I was thinking the other day about something my grandfather used to say: “God didn’t put you on this earth to serve yourself. He put you here to help others.” That was one of his core beliefs, and he made sure we understood it. The older I get, the more I see just how right he was—especially now, when it feels like everyone’s only looking out for themselves.

Growing up, my grandfather made it clear that life wasn’t just about personal gain. He believed our real purpose was to support each other—whether that meant lending an ear to a friend, stepping in when someone needed help, or simply being present for those around us. And he wasn’t alone in that thinking. Albert Einstein once said, “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” That’s not to say we shouldn’t have personal goals, but if everything we do is only about our own success, what’s left at the end of the day?

In today’s world, it’s easy to get wrapped up in our own challenges. Social media constantly pushes the idea of self-promotion, and we’re conditioned to believe that success is all about individual achievement. But success, in its truest sense, isn’t just about how far we climb—it’s about how many people we bring up with us. As Booker T. Washington put it, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”

Whenever I start feeling overwhelmed by the constant push to look after just myself, I try to pause and think about what small step I can take to help someone else. It might be checking in on a neighbor, sharing a kind word with a colleague, or simply holding space for someone who’s having a tough time. It’s not about grand gestures or making headlines—it’s about creating a world where people know they aren’t alone. As Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

That simple message from my grandfather still guides me every day. If we all remembered that life isn’t just about individual success but about lifting up those around us, we’d be in a much better place. It doesn’t take much to be there for each other. A small act of kindness can ripple further than we realize, and at the end of the day, that’s what really matters.