The Magic of the Teensiest Good Deed

I think we could all benefit a lot if the world had more good people in it than bad and if the good balanced out the evil that happens every day. As the Eleventh Doctor from one of my all-time favourite tv shows ‘Doctor Who’ put it- “The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant.”

So, how exactly do we balance out or soften the evil with the good? I mean, we’re only humans, right? Not super-humans. Surely, you’re wondering- “Can one ordinary, non- superhuman person like me make a difference in this world and change it for the better? And if so…how?

Well, the key is to start off by doing even the teensiest good deeds and being a better human by helping out your fellow humans. In fact, I try to do a good deed whenever I can. Be it on the bus, or at school or even at home, it’s always a great feeling to help out anyone who needs help. That’s the key to being a good Samaritan and keeping yourself happy and making someone else’s day too. Why wait for some great personality or social worker to come along and make a change? Why not do it yourself via the magic of one teensy good deed per day?

Let me give you some examples from my own life. I remember my very first bus ride to college. I honestly thought nothing would go wrong…till a really drunk lady hobbled aboard the bus. Drunk as a fish, I tell ya! And she plopped down right next to me on my seat! Being drunk is one thing, but this lady seemed like she’d returned from a swim at the beach in her clothes…and I am not making any of this up, by the way! Eventually, she began to nod off and started leaning in my direction. My first thought was to move or be crushed and have my brand-new clothes get soiled by this dripping wet, grimy young lady. Honestly, that would be the first thought on anyone’s mind. But I just sat there, oblivious to the stares I was getting from passengers (some sympathetic, some cringey) and just lent my shoulder to this tired fellow passenger to doze off on. I ended up getting sand on my new clothes, but it was worth it because this could count as my first small good deed. Now, whenever I see a tired old lady board the crowded bus (as most Indian buses tend to be), I am always kind enough to lend her my seat or if it’s a fellow sleepy passenger, my shoulder to doze off on.

Another way to show that you care is by avoiding that whole rat-race of competing. Be it in school/college, one thing I’ve noticed is that students have a tendency to bully and compete with others and often end up trampling over others in the race to be the ‘topper’. I too had the misfortune of following this same stressful path to self-destruction till I decided it was best to help others with their studies and to help them in improving on their grades (without letting them take advantage of me or letting them copy off me unfairly, of course) instead of just racing to get ahead of them. I was blessed to gain a lot of long-time friends, instead of foes in the process. It’s better to have good company at times, rather than always being that snooty and snobby kid who only cares about the good grades. People often go for the well-mannered person who shines via his/her good deeds, no matter what grade he/she scored in school.

Be there for someone who has no-one and lend an ear to their problems as it will take a ton of their troubled mind, soothe their mental state and will be the teensy good deed that’ll get you in someone’s good books for life. Similarly, thinking positive thoughts, never letting the negativity or impure thoughts and grudges against others blind you and learning to forgive your worst enemy have proven to bestow one with peace of mind and who wouldn’t want that, eh?

So, always remember- “Never be cruel and never be cowardly, and if you ever are, always make amends. Hate is always foolish…and love is always wise. Always try, to be nice and never fail to be kind.” (And yes, that one’s a ‘Doctor Who’ quote as well.)

dcostavidal

Currently majoring in English an' lovin every second o' it! My fav writers are Roald Dahl, Neil Gaiman, RL Stine, Russell T. Davies, Twinkle Khanna and Ruskin Bond. Avid reader, telly watcher, self published author on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Apple Books, amateur comic artist ,aspiring screenwriter, Whovian, David Tennant fan-girl, cosplayer, movie, theatre and history buff. Love travelling and trying out various accents in my free time and can put on a killer Scottish accent. Have big dreams o' turning my written works into a telly show or movie someday. Also love and live to write on wattpad, booksie, pressbooks, quotev in fanfic, sci-fi, humor and romance genres.