Goodness | Filed under General
David Grayson once said ” And when we come to think of it, goodness is uneventful. It does not flash, it glows It is deep, quiet, and very simple. It passes not with oratory, it is commonly foreign to riches, nor does it often sit in the places of the mighty: but may be felt in the touch of a friendly hand or the look of a kindly eye. ”
Right now, I am pondering and wondering about something that has just taken place and where do I fit in this. For goodness’ sake! What is goodness? Is it something that we have inside of us from the day that we’re born, or something that we have to develop ourselves? Can we always recognize it when we see it? Can we copy it when we see it ins someone else?
Goodness has so much to do with intentions. Goodness has to come from the heart, that’s one thing I know for sure. I also know for sure that not everything that comes from my heart is goodness, and that’s something I’m working on. Goodness has to be pure in intention, and I know that my good acts aren’t always intended solely for the good of the recipients. I’m working on that, too. When I truly do good, there’s a very good chance that no one ever will notice it, and I’ll never be recognized as someone who has done something good. When I can live with that and be at peace with it, I know that I’ll have reached a very high level of living.
Yes I know all I have done was from my heart, being a good person was my intention but it must have gone wrong. I wonder did I have some other intention and was not aware of it, could that be what went wrong for some times good intentions can be mixed with less than positive ones and we are not even aware of it.
Think about the kind of “good” people that you admire most. What would you have to do to be more like them? Why does society so often mock and look down upon “do-gooders”? What is it about someone doing good that other people find so threatening?
We ought to do good to others as simply and as naturally as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne. This can lead to making certain Life Is Simply Good.
I will be away for several days, so enjoy and comment here among yourself. Please visit any of my links for each is very special to me. I will return soon.
September 12th, 2005 at 12:13 am
Goodnees, like love, should come from the heart 100% to say that it is true, that it is real. These days, when people do good, its intentions are often misunderstood and misinterpreted as something that is directly proportional to another need.
To me, doing good is often a reflection of how I’d want to be treated back. It’s the Golden Rule. But as in everythin else in life, it is not so simple and clear cut and easy.
It is the courage to do good, ironically, that is the admirable trait I find in people who risk getting misinterpreted in this world that has already somhow become a little bit cynical for even the fraction of a smile one gets from anyone.
V, thanks for dropping by my site recently. I know I also have not been frequenting here much anymore (so many life changes) but I do know that you understand. I will always be here for you, too.
You take care and I wish you all the best in your days away. Your presence here will be missed.
Much love. xxx
September 12th, 2005 at 12:21 am
Vickie,
Just the fact that you are examining yourself and your motives and that you see that goodness in its purest form is goodness that seeks no recognition shows what a good person you are.
I learned about goodness when I was in Memphis during Steven’s treatment in a way that I never imagined would happen to me. Being in the midst of a crisis I found mysef with nothing to give anyone, just dealing with my own shock and grief was all I could handle.
But we were the recipients of more goodness than I could ever describe– anonymous gifts in the mail, people in Memphis who didn’t even know us paying for our meals in restaurants, leaving gifts and meals on our doorstep, pressing money into my hand and then running off before I could say anything.
I can never even begin to pay these people back. I don’t know who many of them are or how to get in touch with them.
But what I can do is to act similarly if I see someone who needs it. I can’t pay it back but I can pay it forward.
So that is my hope– that one day I’ll feel as if I’ve done enough good to be worthy of what I’ve received.
Prayers for you this week Vickie, and please promise to let me know how things work out.
September 12th, 2005 at 12:48 am
Doing something good for someone and not telling ANYONE that you did it….keeping it only to yourself, that’s not easy to do. That’s when I know that I have much inner work yet to do, even though I consider myself a good and kind person. The intention is a huge thing, I agree with you Vickie. “Out of the goodness of our hearts” is a cliche that does bear true meaning, and I also would say what Cecilia said about The Golden Rule. I love that one, and it’s true that if we ALL treated others as we want to be treated the world would be a better place.
You ARE a good and kind person Vickie, don’t ever think otherwise. Yes you’re human and still growing like all of us, but you have that embedded seed of goodness in you. I know it.
Whatever your days away from us hold, I wish you Peace, Godspeed, and much love.
September 12th, 2005 at 4:34 am
I always try to do good, and not many people see this, even my friend Alice who gives me the Beaver face, but that’s ok.
I hope you have a nice break Vickie, see you when you get back!
September 12th, 2005 at 5:46 am
I believe that we are born with goodness, but, it is something that we must continuously cultivate as we grow. Goodness comes from within, but, is something we would be empty without.
Have a good week whatever it is.
September 12th, 2005 at 6:46 am
Those that go through enourmous problems of their own, but still have compassion and time for others going through a rough time. The goodness in people that take time to do little things for others, whether they know them or not. Paying attention to the world around them.
I hope you have a good break, will miss you!! LOVE & HUGS
September 12th, 2005 at 8:50 am
I honestly feel that most people we meet have good hearts, but so many just get caught up in their own problems and don’t take time to share those good hearts.
September 12th, 2005 at 12:08 pm
Most of the time when I do something good for someone, it’s directly one-on-one, so the self-gratification is unavoidable. Would I do it again, if it were anonymously? Probably, because I am naturally a caring person, but I have to admit that the “feeling good about myself for doing something good” is a deciding factor in at least some of the good deeds. So have I ever done anything good in my life? I guess only God knows for sure.
September 12th, 2005 at 4:14 pm
There are several people whom I admire that provide much inspiration, but my mistake is often setting unachievable goals for myself. Then again, I suppose that by aiming for the stars I might make it to the moon.
September 13th, 2005 at 8:21 am
beautiful site you have, and lots of things to think about:)… a very peaceful site, i will be returning! You ask some very important questions taht deserve more thought that a brief comment… tahnkyou!
September 13th, 2005 at 8:44 am
“We ought to do good to others as simply and as naturally as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season …. ” How poetic! You are a blessing.
September 13th, 2005 at 12:28 pm
THanks for commenting on my blog. I actually just found that popcorn on almostvegan.com - I will have to make the link darker…it is almost invisible on my entry…sorry about that! Have a great day!
September 13th, 2005 at 1:06 pm
You brought up very interesting points regarding goodness. Once I was traveling through Italy, Greece and Turkey on a limited budget. My then girlfriend and I were often wild camping. One night in Greece we arrived at a house, where a party was going on. The host of the party invited us to step in his truck in front of all his guests. He would bring us to a nice place to spend the night, he said. He brought us to a parking area in the village, which was not at all suited for camping. I suspected that he was looking for the applause of his guests, who would think that he was such a nice guy to help those young travelers, rather than that he was really concerned with us.
Later on during the trip, the two of us also had to spend a couple of hours in Istanbul, before we would take an early morning train. We were sitting on a bench in a park. But the police was regularly checking the area, because it was forbidden to sleep on the benches. When one of the sailors, tasked with guarding the boats in the port, noticed us, he offered us to sleep in the cabin of one of the boats he was guarding. And because he knew we would be afraid of him, as we didn’t know him - you never know these days -, he gave us the key of the cabin and told us to lock the door behind us and to leave the key on the door, when we would leave in the morning. What a big difference between those two people! Both were supposedly helping us. One guy did it in front of a whole audience and didn’t really help us. The other one saw what are needs were, and at his own risk (he was probably not allowed to let anybody in those boats), with no other purpose than to help us and unnoticed by anybody else in the middle of the night, gave us the opportunity to get a couple of hours of deep sleep before our train would leave.
September 13th, 2005 at 9:09 pm
I think we all have goodness in us. I also believe we have evil within us too. It’s what we choose to do with these traits is what is important.
Goodness and love for our fellow man dominates in most of us but our evil keeps it balanced. It compliments goodness and keeps us from being taken advantage of.
My answer to your question: Why does society so often mock and look down upon “do-gooders”? What is it about someone doing good that other people find so threatening?
Is that people fear that they would have to do the same. Thats why they find it so threatening. They are intimidated by the amount someone else does for others and are not willing to do as much or unable to.
People should help to the amount that they can afford and not by what others do.
Some people are self centered and just don’t give a rats ass about helping and mock those that do. Oddly these are the ones that scream for help the loudest.
Great post
LOL
You make me think to much
September 14th, 2005 at 10:11 pm
[You comment on AdSense post ref]
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The fellow parishioners could not tolerate that and got hold of the old lady and her hob. But Khane Khanan did not fell offended at all. He stopped all of them and ordered his attendants to weigh the iron pan in gold and give it to the old lady instead.
“Why are you doing this,” asked every one in chorus. Let what I have ordered get accomplished and I will let you know why, replied the King.
The old lady was given gold as desired by Khane Khanan and she took her way; praying, happy. Now Khane Khanan explained to every inquisitive, “The old lady thought I am that lustrous stone which has a quality to convert any thing that is touched with it into gold.
That is why she touched her hotplate with me I am no lustrous stone but why disappoint her.
Point made?