Hold on to your goodness

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see,” said Mark Twain.

Human beings are kinder to each other when they feel safe and secure. However, with the rise of aggression in our culture, the threat of terrorism, and the increase in stress in our schools and workplaces, we find ourselves in a position of fear, which creates anxiety, resulting in distorted thinking. These recent changes in our culture have promoted a lack of goodwill towards others and fostered more self-absorption and less outward giving. It seems that today there are no takers for acts of kindness, truthfulness and simplicity. As a result, those who do good are often left deserted. On the other hand, the clever and shrewd steal the show. It’s very sad that the world today is more conducive to those who are manipulative and practical, and those who chase rewards, than to those toiling hard with faith in the return of good actions. In such a scenario, then what is the point of being good in a mad, bad, sad world? Because every good deed anyway gets ‘lost’, as many of us have come to believe. Just like everything becomes dark at night and a lone flower in a thick jungle remains unseen, the little goodness flickering here and there in the world seems to be of no use.

History presents us with innumerable examples of times when the bad seemed to be all-pervasive, when powerful conquerors looted and trapped the masses in an undignified life. And yet, from these very masses emerged a small, courageous group of awakened people who led a revolution against injustice and finally turned the tables on their oppressors. But, of course, all acts of goodness do not amount to a revolution, for they do not always aim to blow strong winds of change. But nevertheless, they work like a cool breeze in a hot desert, or a drizzle on parched land.

We all know the story of the little bird that filled her beak with water from a pond and headed for the woods that were on fire. While she was at it, a spectator asked the tiny creature what was the point of her efforts, for the small droplets would not douse the huge flames. She quipped, “When I die, and my life’s record is being read out, my name will appear on the list of those who tried to put out the flames, and not among those who sparked it or did nothing about it.” We must remember that there is a law of cause and effect that guides every act in the universe.

And what a person does unto anyone, he does unto himself. So, while a negative action piles debt on a person, a positive act is an investment in a good future. So, an honest person must hold on to his virtue with courage and patience in testing times. He must empower himself with the unflinching hope that, as night is followed by day, better times will inevitably follow. It is just a matter of time before the clouds will give way to clearer skies. So, keep the faith until the new day arrives.

The writer is an educator and a councillor; Views presented are personal.