“If you are what you love and you do what you love, I will always be the sun and moon to you.”
– Give A Little Love by Noah and The Whale
Over my last two articles, I have talked about the perception that we seem constantly surrounded by bad news and sad stories on a regular basis. It has almost become a certainty in this universe, along with death and taxes. Is that really all there is in this world?
Of course, I elaborate the importance of art in the course of mankind’s history and how it has helped us to always find beauty everywhere we go. To find the good in people and the purity in their hearts. Unfortunately, there is another issue when we focus on art and things performed by people who are no longer walking the land on this Earth. Sure, their works are fantastic when it comes to seeing the world and history under a different lens, however the impact of all of this remains deeply limited. Art helps those who are exposed to it in the instant, yet why does it usually end there? Why does that impact not go forward and beyond? Why does it stop at helping us see the good in the world? Why do we often refrain ourselves from spreading more positivity, caring and hope around us?
Although I am a Christian, it is important for me to mention that I do not know every word in the Bible by heart, let alone every word of the New Testament. Nevertheless, I do have various verses memorised as I value them for the way I live my life every day. Rest assured, I am not here to do any preaching or converting process. I will, however, draw your attention to one particular verse from the book of Matthew:
“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”
– Matthew 6:3
From a general standpoint, I would agree with the message behind this particular teaching: do not look for acceptance when you are doing good things. Do not let pride or egoism get the better of you for it defeats the concept behind the action you are doing. You are not doing good things for others in order to feel better; you are doing good things for others because they need your help and because it is the right thing to do. It is called common sense, after all. Therefore, it would be pointless to share with others what good deeds we did. Besides, nobody likes a proud person, showing off how “perfect” they are, right? The question is, though: is there no downside to such an approach?
As some people try to normalise the idea of doing good things and sharing those events on the Internet, we start to feed into the ego of doing good things because we expect something in return. When it comes to social media influencers, for example, good things are generally done in the name of good publicity, additional clientele and potential revenue increase. The same can be said about celebrities as part of a marketing campaign. This has developed a new trend where the superficiality has become more important than what is actually happening. As a result, do-gooders would stage certain scenarios in order to appear as the righteous person under all angles. Proper lights, perfect camera handling, clear and distinct conversation between the “do-gooder” and the person in need of help. This would not encourage people around you to do the same thing for others, to make this world a better place.
The importance of spreading good and being of service lies in the sole purpose of being wholesome and real in the moment. There is nothing glorious about begging for people to notice what you are doing. Help people in need – friends, family, strangers – because you are a good person and that is the type of person you have been raised to become. This is the first in spreading positivity and good news in a world that seems so grim whenever we read the news or get on the Internet.
“I cannot do all the good that the world needs, but the world needs all the good that I can do.”
– Jana Stanfield
Sure, people will laugh, try to belittle or criticise you for what you are doing. The world is full of jealous people – that does not mean that they do not have good intentions when they look at the world – who prefer to complain rather than get up and get something done. Coming back to the question of whether we should share the good deeds we do on the Internet, I think we should. Make no mistake, I remain confident in the thought that this approach should not be done out of pride and attention seeking. However, there are certain things that need to be shared in order to encourage others to have some positivity in their everyday lives. To have something to look forward to. To witness everyday heroes.
Do remember that the smallest things create the bigger impact and do not need to be shared nor rewarded.
Hold the door for that lady, not because you want her number, but because it is a kind gesture that requires zero additional energy.
Listen to someone’s problems without getting anything in return.*
Help people feel that they matter. Because they do.
Eventually, someone else will do the same for you.
“When nobody stands, stand on your own.”
– Hold You Up by Shane Harper
Change The Lens 