Don't get stronger for yourself

Last week I went for a hike with some friends. To the surprise of NO ONE I'm trying to convince them to do more strength training.
Well.
Turns out, I was going to make them do some whether they liked it or not.
Just kidding, they were 100% on board.
We were about a mile in when we saw a woman hobbling down the trail with her boyfriend.
Her ankle was FREAKING HUGE.
We did the usual dance of...
Us: Are you ok?
Them: Yea, just a badly twisted ankle
Us: Do you need any help?
Them: Oh no, we should be ok... but how far to the cars?
Us: Exactly a mile
Them: Ok thanks...
And off we parted.
Sound familiar at all?
Well.
We decided to turn back and help.
Not only bc it was a ROUGH mile, but because if you're tired of doomscrolling and you want to see more good in the world... you need to start with taking action yourself.
We made a 4 person stretcher and it was a tough march down to the trailhead.
But I know it was better for that girl than hopping her way down (and selfishly, I'd like to think my ramblings and questions kept her distracted from the pain)
And as much as I'd love to focus on tooting my own horn and accepting my Nobel Peace Prize, I can't ignore the glaringly obvious.
We could only help because we were strong.
Again, I was already trying to convince my friends to get stronger... but they hold on to a lot of residual strength from years of rock climbing & obstacle course racing.
When I promote strength, it's usually aimed at getting faster, avoiding injury, or even just looking better when you pass a mirror.
But honestly, being strong means you can help.
It means being able to carry that hiker or a hurt pet, lift your kid so they can see the parade, or nail that slam dunk, and push that luggage into the overhead compartment for the elderly person next to you.
Be strong not just for yourself, but for your community.