From when I was much younger I have always hated reading and/or listening to the news. News always leaves me so anxious.

Now as an adult I have to consume the news, even though I keep it at an absolute minimum, just enough to keep me sufficiently informed. Lately, though, with elections coming up, local news has become exhausting. Politics and "politricking" are an energy sapper.

And this is why I adore music radio. The conversations are light, the music is sometimes silly but a jam; people call in with cringe- worthy dedications for their loved ones. But there is absolutely nothing more relaxing.

Everyone close to me knows my favourite radio station. I love it for being absolutely frolicsome; it really is the highlight of my day on most days.

The other night the host posed a question to the listeners: what good thing did you do for someone today? I immediately thought what a silly question, let's play music.

The first caller who shared their story had me quickly reconsidering my earlier bored stance. The caller recalled how on their morning drive, they had come across an elderly woman on her knees in traffic, with her crutch lying a few metres away.

When she realised that she had fallen and wasn't able to get herself up, she stopped her car, helped her up and gathered her crutch for her. The rescued woman mentioned that she had been like that for a while with motorists just driving past her with curious looks.

This led to a sea of people sharing stories of how they had extended a hand, foot or money to their fellow humans.

By the end of the segment I was in tears. Even the petrol attendant who helped me looked worried.

Life is hard to navigate sometimes (most of the times, in fact). But often we get so caught up in the things that are wrong with our lives that we neglect to remember that there are people going through what could possibly be our worst nightmares.

People are waking up daily to deal with illnesses whose pain we can only ever imagine. There are people who go to bed not knowing what their children will eat the next day. There are people who have sacrificed even family homes to send their kids to university and now have to watch the very same children sit with degrees, no jobs and no family home.

Sometimes I think we really need to be reminded to stop wallowing in self pity and remember the rest of the people in the world, our cities, townships and villages. There is always something that you have that someone else needs, even if that thing seems insignificant to you.

In about two-and-a-half weeks we will be in December, the official party month on our calendar.

There will be so many people robbed of a festive spirit for different reasons. I hope that we will all remember to take a little time even beyond this period, to make someone's day a little bit better.

Sometimes it's by sharing a joke, holding someone's hand or helping someone up who has missed a step.

We literally could make the world a better place by showing compassion.

There is more to life than dirty politics, shrewd business and violence.