On Goodness

Pete here. What is goodness? What do people feel goodness is? I have been called a "good person" by many people. It isn't anything grand that makes me "good" or "kind". I guess I should start by saying "good" I'm not talking about good vs evil or moral failings. I'm talking more about the little things that I do. I don't want to toot my own horn, I feel like I'm bragging, but the things that I do I notice that other people don't. I don't think maliciously, but it seems that it's not a common practice. Like, for me, every time we go to a building: a restaurant, a gas station, or whatever, I will open the door for the Wife and I will hold the door until everyone has made it in. It's the same thing as when I leave, if there is someone exiting the building at the same time as me I will stop, open the door and let them go out first. It feels like the considerate thing to do. And I notice that those around me don't always make those choices. They'll squeeze past the person and get in the way. Little things like saying "thank you" and "have a good day" to those in the service industry. I mean, I worked retail for, well, ever, and I know what it feels like to be ignored. It's the little choices that matter a lot.

Like earlier today we were out with my mom and the discussion for lunch came up. Well, my birthday is next week (by the way, the most IMPORTANT day of the year), and so when we decided on a local Mexican restaurant that gives out free fried ice cream on your birthday, and my mom was talking about how I should have told them that today is my birthday, even though it's not. Now, I know I'm not the only one who wouldn't feel comfortable doing that, but the fact that there are people who wouldn't think twice about doing that is rather concerning.

My kind of goodness does come with a down side. I constantly feel like I'm bragging, like I'm doing too much or not enough. I worry a lot about how others perceive me. It also got me thinking that a lot of what I do stems from the emotional abuse I had while growing up. That's also what made me an extremely empathetic person and I don't want others to feel the way I did. That's why I'm here. I want to help and give kindness where people need it. And I think a bit of my way of thinking could help a lot of people. If people start seeing people as actual people, then maybe the little bits of rudeness or inconsiderate behavior will start to dwindle. I know it's a catch phrase or whatever, but I like the idea of being the good you want to see in the world. If you get cut off in traffic, let it go. Maybe they need to get to the ER. It might feel good in the moment to badmouth them or flip them off, but you don't know their circumstances. And that's something that I think a lot of people need to understand. You never know what another person is going through. I hope I can bring examples of that kind of goodness to Clearview Works. I know what I said sounds really soft and fluffy, but I bet it would be some of the hardest things for most people to do; make the conscious choice to do something good rather than just reacting to their emotions without thought.

I hope this made sense to somebody out there. If you have any questions or thoughts about what I said, leave a comment or shoot us an email.