Joy Thief

Doing good feels great. When you’re looking at a snow-covered sidewalk, you are looking at an obstacle, but you’re also looking at an opportunity. A very simple and quaint opportunity to be a contributing member of society. You can shovel more than your portion of the walk and help your neighbor. If you do this, you will feel better; the world will seem less dark, you’ll spend less time on social media, you’ll have given yourself additional opportunities to exercise, and you’ll have made the road easier for your neighbors. The impact is immediate, and it literally ploughs a way to connect with your community.

Snow shoveling is one example. Doing good can mean volunteering, donating to charity, or supporting a coworker.

A word of caution: avoid comparing your contributions to others’ efforts or lack thereof. As a quote often attributed to Theodore Roosevelt says, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” I agree.

Comparison can rob us of our sense of value, especially when we focus on what others have and we don’t. More dangerously, it can poison our thoughts if we judge those who do less. Judgement and self-righteousness are toxic and can kill the joy inside us. Self-righteousness is a darkness that masks itself as contentment and confidence.

Find a need that you can meet and give yourself the gift of doing good—free from judgment, for yourself or others.

Thanks for reading, friend