Any man may easily do harm, but not every man can do good to another. – Plato
What does that mean?
Well, I’m afraid I have to disagree slightly with him. It’s a quibble, but : Anyone CAN do good. Many will choose not to do good, but they have the capability to do good.
That aside, this reminds me of how fragile humans can be. As a mediocre martial artist, we train with each other, striving to NOT hurt each other, as we learn our techniques. This also applies to the emotional damage that can be dished out by careless or vicious people. Many people make it their job to injure or mangle people, body, mind and spirit.
And I’m not talking about the military, it’s in their job description.
Why is doing good to others important?
Have you ever had a stranger do something good for you? I know I have. Those moments, most now quite some time ago, are some of the most special moments of my life. Someone else thought so much of me that they took the time and effort, as well as the initiative, to do something for me. Now, I try to do it for others. And the times when I have stayed around long enough to see the results and reactions, they have been overwhelming for them and for me.
The main reason I feel that doing good for others is that it opens a part of you that most of us don’t know we have. The feeling of appreciation from the person you helped is nice, but the feeling of having helped another human, to have eased their mind, lightened their load or given them a hand up when they were down, that’s where the real reward is. If you haven’t done it, I wouldn’t be able to describe it. If you have done it, I don’t need to describe it. It’s just that simple. You’ve got to do it.
Where can I apply this in my life?
I try to do good when I can. As a former Boy Scout, it’s kind of part of me. There are plenty of ways to do good, and I will go over a few of my preferred methods below. Don’t fret if none of these appeal to you, there is always your trusty piece of paper to brainstorm and write down ideas if none of these appeal to you.
I would start with forgiveness and forgive your friends and family. It doesn’t matter if they don’t forgive you, someone has to take the first step, and up to this point, that probably hasn’t happened, right? Even if it doesn’t really change anything on their end, you will find that things have changed on your end. Just remember, not everyone knows how to put past hurt behind them and move forward. From their viewpoint, you might just be leading by example.
I would also be sure to contribute, or provide service to others. There is always room for monetary contributions, but I prefer the hands on approach. I donate blood, help out at the local food bank, volunteer at my kid’s school and do many other little things throughout the year. I have friends who help out at their local airport and help people find their destinations, gates and other necessities. Others help with volunteer work directing traffic and crowd control at local events.
There is always a need for compassion and for kindness in this world. Even something as simple as making the decision to hold one door open for another every day will make a difference in someone’s life. Add the decision to smile at at least three people each day and to say “thank you” as often as possible and you will be making a big difference. All the little things add up. And remember, everyone is having some troubles, so have some compassion if someone is a jerk. Perhaps you remind them of their Ex!
One of the easiest for me is to show strength. I have a bit of physical strength, but that’s not what I mean here. To me, showing strength in this sense means to do the right thing. Even if no one is watching. But most of the time, people are watching, you just don’t know it. Live your life as an example of doing good.
Things have a way of coming back around, so make sure it’s something you’re going to want to have some more of.
From: Twitter, @philo_quotes
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/plato396486.html
