How to become someone's guardian Angel

Everybody needs a guardian angel to help them through tough times and to let them know that someone cares. Like in the song Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, you don't have to have wings and a halo to be someone's guardian angel. You just need to love and care for another person, even for a person you don't really know.

Step 1

First of all, you may want to remember what a guardian angel is. Simply put, it's about being someone who watches out for another person and helps them regardless of what's in it for you. It's about caring for another person because that person matters and because they need help. There are also spiritual and mystical interpretations of guardian angels but this article is focused on the practical exercise of adopting the role of someone who is prepared to watch over another person and make sure that things go right for them.
If you're into music or movies, listen to the song Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, or watch the movie City of Angels for inspiration.

Step 2

Think about how guardian angels are portrayed and how this can be transferred to your guardian angel endeavors. In City of Angels, Nicolas Cage plays Seth, the admiring, loving angel who longs to be with Maggie, to feel as she feels. And so he becomes human, abandoning a life without sorrow or pain, just to be with her. In Your Guardian Angel, the chorus goes,"I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you forever. I'll be there for you through it all, even if saving you sends me to Heaven." Both the movie and the book depict a self-sacrificial love and this is the idea behind being someone's guardian angel – sacrificing your time, energies and resources to help someone out. While this isn't about asking you to sacrifice your life for someone but sometimes you can even be in a position to help to save a life through a unique sacrifice, such as when you donate a kidney or donate blood.

Step 3

Think of how you can do things for someone else that will benefit their life and help steer that person back onto a more fulfilling path in life. How can you be there for this other person you've chosen to help watch over? How can you show that no matter what, you will always care for and love them or, if you don't really know this person, that you care enough now to do them great good? Contrary to the depictions in movies and songs, the person a guardian angel watches over doesn't necessarily have to be a romantic love interest. This person could be a friend, a relative, a child, a homeless person, etc. After all, everyone needs a guardian angel and in the process of being one, your own eyes can be truly opened to how much good you're capable of doing.

Step 4

Be another person's ultimate supporter, their rock. When this person expresses sadness, upset or they vent their frustrations, be there for them and don't judge. Simply point out what is good about them and help them to discover for themselves the pathways to pulling through difficult situations.
When this person is upset, let them cry. More importantly, let them cry on you and don't push them aside.
When this person abandons hope, assure them that it will all be okay eventually and they will pull through regardless of how tough things seem right now. Never let them lose hope in any aspect of their life – be it in their love life, work life, family life, etc. Remind them that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel and give them examples of your own tough situations in life and how you worked through them.

Step 5

When this person wants to talk, listen. Being truly heard without judging, advising or insinuating anything is beneficial to anyone. As someone's guardian angel, be ready to listen to them without interruption, without judgment and without advice. Don't brush them off or say that you don't have time to hear what they have to say. Make time for them, they'll appreciate it more than you'll ever know. And if you sense that they're hurting deeply, misguided, have lost their way or are not coping well with their problems, reflect their concerns clearly back to them along with a huge dose of kindness, support and acceptance. Often acknowledging people's pain and sadness is worth more than all the advice and guidance you might have in store.

Step 6

Practice the ripple effect. One good deed brightens a person's day and cascades on to other people through your good deed, even though you usually don't see what happens next. Indeed, you may never know what further good your own good and kindness for another human being has transpired but you can be assured that spreading good has a ripple effect and your act of kindness, support and thoughtfulness continues to keep being passed on. A small smile, a door held open, a cheery word to a person who seems down – all of these things can make an enormous, positive difference beyond anything you can imagine. So, never fail to show that you care.
Whether you do something to express your support like writing it out and sending it, or coming straight out and saying it, showing that you care is the most important thing you can ever do for someone. Pass it on because it's an act of an angel that keeps on giving.