Good Deed Day

It was supposed to be a snow day. Instead, woke up with the wife feeling sick. She told me to go enjoy the day regardless. After making sure she was okay and had everything she needs, I headed out. Grabbed my usual cup of coffee, and headed down to the water. It had snowed, but not much accumulation. The wind was whipping and it was cold, so I was hoping to have the park to myself. I did. Time to meditate…

Good deed day. I was thinking about doing good deeds. I love to spread joy. Despite me working in a field where I take care of people all day, there is something tangible about putting good energy out there on the regular.

There are plenty of things we can do to lighten the load for the world. Off the top of my head, you can pay for a strangers coffee. Smile at someone who is obviously having a bad day. Let someone jump ahead of you in traffic. Give a homeless person a few bucks…did I cross the line? I actually hear this argument all the time.

I’ve worked in mental health my entire life. 38 years I have worked on and off with the homeless. I hear, “If you give that homeless person money, they will just spend it on alcohol.” What’s your point? I can tell you that I touch well over 100 homeless people a year. And yes, some will take that money and buy booze. But I would venture to say that probably 50% or more won’t. Regardless, if I give a homeless person 5 bucks to get a bottle of booze, so be it. In many cases, that bottle is the only thing standing in the way of them having a grand mal seizure. A seizure that could potentially end their life. I gladly will forgo my morning coffee to save a life. Sorry…I’ll get of my soapbox now, for I have digressed.

The point that I am making is, stop making it all about you. At the check out counter, don’t just ask the cashier how their day was. If time permits, take 5 minutes and actually listen to them. Make someone’s day. Kindness is the elixir that calms spirits. And who doesn’t want a calm spirit?

I want to make one more point about a good deed day. If you actively go out of your way to bless people, watch how fast the universe will in kind do the same for you. The universe loves kindness. And even if it didn’t, laying your head down at the end of the night knowing you gave all you came in contact with a good deed day, feels pretty fucking amazing.