Helping others is one of our basic roles as human beings.
I recently read a news article about a young man working at a Seattle Walmart, an immigrant from Ghana, who voluntarily returned an envelope containing $20,000 in cash to an elderly couple while helping to carry shopping bags to their car. Apparently, the envelope with the money fell out of a purse. He noticed it, quickly ran after the owners, and returned the funds while refusing to take a finders fee. And as it turned out, the money was to be used for purchasing a home the couple had been saving for. He later received an accommodation for the good deed, and is now being rewarded for his actions by being promoted and enjoying some well-deserved attention for his exceptional behavior. He’s a wonderful example of how being selfless can pay big dividends on an emotional level, and is a great role model to us all.
You can read the story here: article
I love hearing about good deeds. It lets me know there are still plenty of good, honest people who truly have other’s best interests at heart. They don’t reach out to help looking for payback, rather, simply do it because it’s the right thing to do and they receive lots of happiness for it.
One of the best ways to feel good is to help another individual. It can be anything from holding a door open for someone else entering a building, assisting someone elderly across the street, letting a car merge over along a highway, or returning another’s hard-earned money they would’ve never realized they’d lost til it was too late. And when I read the above-mentioned article, I think about how much heartache and pain this couple would’ve faced if it weren’t for a simple act of selfless kindness.
I haven’t always been this way, but I’ve realized that looking for instances where I can help others has made me a much happier person. And guess what? It’s rarely ever cost me a dime. Some recent examples have been helping a neighbor carry a few boxes on moving day, giving a divorced friend who’s carrying the financial strain of raising two children a coupon for a free oil change, nominating another friend’s charity to participate in a local restaurant chains give-back program for a percentage of each food item sold, and giving a meager $20 to a family needing gas and going nowhere until I sat and realized their hardship was real. As I gave, my heart received, and it always continues being a wonderful feeling.
I’m not Catholic, but I’ve started following the actions of newly-elected Pope Francis. He’s a very simple man. A humble man. One who, even after his rise among the church to Archbishop, Cardinal, and now, Pope prefers to live in a simple apartment, refuses chauffeured limousines, and enjoys cooking his own meals. Although, for non other than security reasons, will most likely need to succumb to the trappings of being the leader of the billion-plus-member Catholic Church. All throughout his career, he’s been a servant to the poor, even washing the feet of AIDS patients and going against aged protocols by randomly blessing people in crowds as he walks by. He genuinely seems to be a selfless man and on the night he was elected Pope, asked the waiting crowd in St. Peter’s Square to, “pray for him” before doing the customary blessing-of-the-crowd; a simple request quickly letting the world know that he’s their servant, rather than the other way around. He even chose the name, Francis, for his Papal title which is named after, St. Francis of Assisi: an admirer of nature and servant to the poor. Again, I’m not Catholic, but most anyone can admire such a true believer of the ways of Jesus.
Pope Francis’ mentality represents selflessness perfectly. He’s one who believes that one of our basic roles as human beings is to help each other. It’s a way of life that’s easy to live, will make you a better person, and cause you to take notice and understand the needs of those less fortunate.
Whether it’s someone as famous as, The Pope, or one who will never see any attention for their good deeds, I fully appreciate those who show regard and care for those in need. After all, all we really have, regardless of social or economic value, is each other.
Thanks for listening…
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