I try to give joy to one person in the morning and remove the suffering of one person in the afternoon. If you and your friends do not despise the small work, a million people will remove a lot of suffering. That is the secret. Start right now.”-Sister Chan Kong
Right on, Sister! This is a mode of operation I have sincerely tried to adopt. This does not mean I accomplish my goal every day but it is a path I attempt to walk. What matters is the simplest gesture. My challenge to you is to try this on for size thru the holidays and if it works for you, turn it into a goal for next year and potentially a lifestyle. Service work dispels a lot of self loathing!
Giving joy to someone is as simple as holding the door open behind you or smiling at a stranger at the coffee shop. Be sincere in your efforts. Lots of visitors come to RR this time of year, make them feel at home. I am sure there are times when as locals you may feel besieged and frustrated with the antics of the vacationers but they are the bread and butter of the community. They will be gone soon and the stillness of the day will again return. In the meantime though, show them some love.
I have started my own annual event as a firm believer in the concept of Paying it Forward. This is an idea that you do something good for someone and they in turn, to show their thanks, do something nice for someone else in return, preferably someone that really needs the gesture. There is a movie with Kevin Spacey and an actual foundation supporting this worldwide movement. This time of year I work at one of the organizations that provide clothes/food/toys to those in need. It’s operated like a regular store. It is even in an old storefront building. Instead of paying with cash, the customers pay with chits they receive based on family size/income. The goods come from donated items from the community. It is an exhausting couple of days but it is the best kind of tired.
For many years I was a recipient of the goodness of others. Thankfully I was able to turn my financial life around due to circumstance, job choices, hard work and just plain doing without. My friend Karen taught me about the Universe and giving back no matter how little you have, you almost always have more than someone. She is the Eternal Earth Mother. She would feed the world one person at a time if she could. Best part of all, while she is busy giving she somehow manages to make you feel like you are doing her the favor for allowing her to do so.
So this holiday season take a vacation from the craziness and help someone make you feel better about being the kind of person you want to be. Go forth and create spontaneous acts of kindness, you know you want to!