One good deed a day!

Helping others is in the little things. Making this world a better place is not just about donating to charity. Giving money to the less fortunate, trying to secure education for the less educated, secure water and food for the poor and secure shelter and treatment for the broken. It is a honourable thought, that’s for sure. But it´s not only then that we can help. It´s also very much about the choices we make every day! Helping the environment by picking up a plastic chips bag or a red bull can that has been thrown away so carelessly by someone. Helping this world become a wonderful place by telling people you love how you feel about them. By telling them simply how great they are, and how lucky you are for having them in your life. Life can be over so soon, and there is nothing worse than regret and wasted opportunities. It´s about seeing a girl crying on the tram and deciding: do I simply look the other way or will I take action? I can´t make the pain of this girl go away. I don´t even know her. But she reminds me of myself, so much that it hurts. She triggers a sadness deep inside of me, a sadness that I´d rather push away. But I cannot escape her cries. Hearing her pleading, feeling the despair in her voice makes me want to burst out in tears. It would be easier to look the other way, trying to ignore her pain… my pain. It would be so easy to close my eyes and pretend. But I am done pretending. I try to focus on what I´d wish for, if this was me, sitting in a tram by myself on the phone, crying. I know she can feel us staring at her. How cold of a world this has become where we just stare at someone in need, instead of offering our helping hand, still convinced that we are good people because, you know, for Christmas I gave away money for some goodwill foundation like “save the children”. We tell ourselves that this is enough, but when we actually run into someone struggling, if we actually face misery and affliction right there in front of us, we bail. We close our eyes and our hearts, and act like we can´t see it. We refuse to take action. Willingly unwillingly. What fucking hypocrites! So full of ourselves, so deluded, but I´m over this bullshit. I’m ready to actually change. I want to be different. I want this world to be a better place, and I keep lecturing people about being better, being more compassionate and connected. So it is about freaking time I take my own advice and start acting like it. And you may get pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Even if you can just offer a tissue and some chocolate to ease the pain, at least you try. At least you show that person that they matter, and that they are being seen. And understood. Because we´ve all been there. We should stop acting like we haven´t and use our experiences to reconnect and help. And maybe you will get rewarded and get a friendly, very thankful smile and something like “you´re sweet!” your way in return, which will most definitely leave you with a feeling much greater than money can ever pay for: gratitude, appreciation, acceptance and connection. And isn´t that what we are all looking for in the end?

In loving memory: Tattä