by Alyssa Ast
I was raised with the belief that you should help others without being asked, and help others without asking for anything in return. Some people struggle with this concept, but I don't. What's so hard about giving without receiving? What's so hard about simple acts of kindness just to make some one's life easier without expecting some grand gesture in return?
Giving without receiving is great for feeling content with yourself, as well as the person on the receiving end of your act of kindness. If more people gave without expecting anything in return society would be a much kinder place. We could actually get back to the point where we could trust our neighbor.
Many people feel they should only help out when they are asked, or when there's something to be gained from their effort, but this shouldn't be the case. There are always moments of opportunity to give back, even when it isn't asked for and nothing will be gained from it-- other than a smile.
There are many ways you can give back to someone, they don't need to be big grand gestures. lending an ear to a troubled friend or stranger is a start. Cooking dinner for someone you know when they are going through a difficult time, bringing in your neighbor's trash can, not just because you don't wan to look at i,t but because you want to do it to be nice, or holding the door open for the family juggling their young children are all simple ways you can give back.
Giving without receiving often becomes contagious. Do something nice for someone to brighten their day, and they are likely to return the favor. If enough people begin to give back to the world, overtime, it will have a ripple effect throughout society. I don't know about you, but a future where others help people just because they can and don't want anything in return seems like a promising future to me.
So take a minute each day to help someone out. It doesn't need to be a grand gesture, but just a simple act of kindness, like returning someones shopping cart to the shopping cart caddy. It won't take much, but I'm sure your act of kindness will be a highlight of the receiving person's day.
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