Rodney Olsen, the host of Bleeding Daylight, discusses how we can get out of our ruts in life by serving others.
Table of Contents
Serving Others to Serve Others
We are all broken. Those trapped in poverty are even more broken. Hope can be restored when those of us with a blessing become a blessing to others. Rodney Olsen shares how his podcast, Bleeding Daylight, strives to kick darkness until light shines through by sharing stories of those who have endured and overcome a dark chapter in their lives.
When feeling stuck in a rut, we are typically in a state of overwhelm, maybe our lives are not aligned with our purpose or calling. Serving others to serve others is a great way to find that alignment. Dr. Patch Adams had a treatment philosophy of leveraging patients to help other patients. It had the unique result of patients finding hope and connection when they thought they were alone in their suffering.
Rodney’s work with Ride for Compassion strives to help children break free of poverty. The support they provide not only provides the goods needed to get through a day but enough to be able to help others as well. Economic poverty is not the only poverty people face. There is poverty is safety, justice, and access to education.
Serving others moves us beyond ourselves. As we bring hope to others, we realign with our calling and purpose in God’s kingdom. Serving others brings a significant positive impact into the lives of others who then impact the lives of others. Having an outward mindset may indeed heal our inner struggles, improve our sense of worth, and increase our contentment. Let’s take our blessings and be a blessing to others.
“Love our neighbors like we love ourselves.” – Rodney paraphrased the second greatest commandment.
What Helps Combat Compassion Fatigue?
- Reminding yourself of why
- Holding onto your foundation (Scripture, mission statement, core values, etc.)
- Looking at the positive impact being made
- Acknowledge the struggle is real
- Stay connected
In This Episode
- Growing up in Perth, Australia
- Rodney’s early career in radio broadcasting
- Bleeding Daylight is a podcast that lets Rodney share great stories
- Christian radio done differently than other Christian radio stations
- “Kicking darkness until the light shines through” until “On Earth as it is in Heaven”
- When someone else’s agenda infiltrates your own beliefs
- Ride for Compassion – helping children break the cycle of poverty (2 million children in 25 countries)
- Rodney’s first exposure to Ride for Compassion, rioting in Haiti
- More than just a handout, helping others help others
- Hold onto your empathy for others, do not harden your hearts
- Compassion fatigue
Rodney Olsen – Bleeding Daylight Podcast Host
Rodney Olsen is a husband, father, cyclist, blogger, and podcaster. You’ll find his blog at RodneyOlsen.net.
He has had over 25 years’ experience in radio but since the end of 2013, he’s been working full time to release children from poverty. It’s part of his own efforts to kick at the darkness.
Rodney decided to create Bleeding Daylight as a way to use the media skills he built over many years.
“One of the questions I’m asked most often is if I miss working in radio. While I still love the medium, the main thing I miss is the opportunity to help uncover interesting stories through on-air interviews or conversations.
Over many years I’ve interviewed hundreds of musicians, authors, politicians, comedians, actors, sporting identities, and others. I’m always captivated by the stories behind the people. I love discovering what drives a person and how they’re kicking the darkness they encounter to allow the daylight to bleed into their everyday lives.”
In the past, Rodney has also been a consultant and writer on two television programs, screened on the Seven and Ten Networks in Australia.
Rodney is married to Pauline and they have two adult children, Emily and James. Emily can be heard in the introduction to Bleeding Daylight.
He is also a keen cyclist who has crossed Australia 6 times by bike as well as cycling in Canada and making 2 trips to cycle in India.
Resources and Links
You can learn more about the mission work Rodney is involved in, Ride for Compassion, at www.compassion.com.au.
Listen to the interview Rodney did with Jerry Dugan on Bleeding Daylight.
Book Recommendation: The Outward Mindset: Seeing Beyond Ourselves by The Arbinger Institute [Affiliate Link].
Want a transcript of this interview? Click here.
Figure out the impact you were created to make in the world. Measure It to Make It is a free tool to help you identify your passions, values, and all-time bucket list then walks you through creating a life plan with measurable milestones to work towards.
Episode Credits
Host, Editing, and Production: Jerry Dugan
Music: “Oceans Apart” is our theme song composed and performed by Scott Ian Holmes.
