Selflessness is doing things for other people and the world without really expecting anything back. Except maybe the gratification of doing so.
Caring about other people apparently is bad thing, so I should really just stop doing it. I have given up halfway throughout the week, but have done enough to warrant getting an A anyway.
The numbers correspond with actions I took based on a list of “selfless deeds” to do. They are provided below for immediate viewing:
1. [Wednesday] Hold the door open for the person behind you
2. [Wednesday] Introduce yourself. Make new colleagues, classmates, etc. feel welcome. Easy to do when you have classes with strangers!
3. [Thursday] Clean out all your old clothes and donate them to someone in need. Your old is someone else’s new.
4. [Wednesday] Write a positive Yelp review about a local business you like. MY REVIEW IS HERE. It is of Jack in the box.
5. [Wednesday] Listen intently to people’s stories without trying to fix everything.
6. [FAILED] Donate blood. One pint of blood can save up to three lives. Locate your nearest blood drive.
7. [FAILED] Volunteer at a hospital, homeless shelter, nursing home, etc. Get outside of yourself and help others. Check out Volunteer Match.
8. [FAILED] Buy house warming gifts for new neighbors.
9. [Wednesday] Inspire others online. A simple facebook status worked.
10. [EXCUSED] Share your umbrella with a stranger on a rainy day.
11. [Tuesday] Check up on someone who looks lonely.
12. [FAILED] Let someone with only a few items cut you in line at the grocery store.
13. [Wednesday] Spread good news.
14. [Thursday] Replace what you’ve used. For example, fill up the copier or printer with paper after you’re done using it or start a fresh batch of coffee.
15. [Wednesday] Give words of encouragement to someone about their dreams, no matter how big or small they are.
16. [EXCUSED] Stop and buy a drink from a kid’s lemonade stand. The government prevents lemonade stands from pretty much existing.=
17. [FAILED] Help someone get your parking space in a crowded parking lot when you’re leaving.
18. [Tuesday. Kind of] Babysit for couples or single parents who don’t get out much so they can have some alone time. I didn’t really babysat, but I hung out with my niece for a little bit, which counts for something.
19. [Wednesday] Look for ways to save a few extra bucks a month and then donate it to a good cause or charity. A good cause = Rand Paul 2016.
20.[Thursday] Shop at your local charity thrift store. The money you spend there helps others. I popped some tags.
21. [FAILED] Help someone get active. There’s a coworker or acquaintance in your life who wants to get healthy, but needs a helping hand. Offer to go walking or running together or join a gym together. Check out your local Active activities.
22. [Tuesday] Spend a few clicks of your time at Free Rice. I did more than just a few clicks.
23. [Friday] If someone you love really likes something (a meal, a favor, etc.) give it to them when they least expect it.’
24. [Wednesday] Make a difference in the life of a child. Give them your time and undivided attention. Read Raising Kids Who Will Make a Difference.
25. [FAILED] If you shop online, make your purchase through Give Back America.
26. [FAILED] Pay for the person in line behind you.
27. [Excused] Drop off your old eye glasses at your local LensCrafters as a donation to the OneSight program.
28. [Wednesday] Create a care package and send it to an active duty military unit. I actually created one for my girlfriend, but it was hardly appreciated.
29. [FAILED] Redirect gifts. Instead of having people give you birthday and holiday gifts, ask them to donate gifts or money to a good cause.
30. [Thursday] The next time you see someone pulled over with a flat tire, or in need of assistance, stop and ask how you can help. Read How to Be an Everyday Philanthropist.
31. [Tuesday] Become a mentor or tutor to someone in need. I do that everyday at work.
32. [FAILED] Help the weary shopper in front of you who needs that extra two or three cents to avoid breaking a 20-dollar bill.
33. [FAILED] Come to the rescue. If you realize someone is sick, bring them some hot tea, soup, etc.
34. [Tuesday] Be a courteous driver. Let people merge in front of you.’
35. [FAILED] Put some change in an expired parking meter (where it’s legal).
36. [FAILED] Offer your seat to someone when there aren’t any left.
37. [Thursday] Listen to someone’s pain and help them find a path through it.
38. [Tuesday] Hug a friend. Let them know how important they are.
39. [Friday] Think twice before you throw something away. As Jack Johnson once said, “Reduce, reuse, and recycle.” I thought and thought about not throwing away a relationship, but in the end it got disposed of anyway. Not by choice of course.
40. [Thursday] Help an entrepreneur with a Kiva donation.
41. [FAILED] Bake cookies or brownies and share with a neighbor or colleagues.
42. [FAILED] If you have a good book you’ve read that’s just sitting around on a book shelf, give it away to a friend.
43. [Thursday] Become a member of Freecycle, and participate. I merely joined the website.
44. [Tuesday] Clean up litter in a park or open space nearby. By Chapman library, I helped to clean up garbage.
45. [Thursday] Look into co-housing. Sounds interesting. I actually wouldn’t mind doing it, you know, if I wasn’t alone.
46. [EXCUSED / WEBSITE DOWN] Borrow and lend things in your neighborhood by using Share Some Sugar.
47. [Wednesday] Send a nice email or handwritten card to someone you know, unexpectedly.
48. [Wednesday] Leave encouraging post-it notes in library books and other random places. This was by far one of the funnest things to do. I put them all around the library at CSUF (on random tables).
49. [FAILED] If you see a couple taking a self-pic, offer to take the picture for them.
50. [FAILED] Setup a donation box at your school, work or place of worship and ask others to make canned/dried food contributions. Then deliver the donations accordingly.
51. [Thursday] Join efforts to preserve and protect the environment.
52. [FAILED] Donate cat and dog food to an animal shelter. Call and ask what is needed.
53. [Thursday] Compliment someone who deserves it.
54. [FAILED] If there’s been an accident or a potentially hazardous situation presents itself on the road, report it to the local authorities. Your phone call could save a life.
55. [Thursday/website visited] Collect and donate prom dresses for underprivileged youth. Check out the Princess Project. I visited the website. I’m not actually going to do it.
56. [FAILED] When you’re getting fast food, buy an extra meal for a homeless person.
57. [Monday]Stand up for someone. Lend your voice. Often the powerless, the homeless, the neglected in our world need someone to speak up for them. THE US GOVERNMENT BETTER NOT BOMB SYRIA.
58. [FAILED] Take the time to teach someone a skill you know.
59. [FAILED] Teach others how to make a difference in this world by setting a good example every day. Read 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life
60. [FAILED] When someone wants to repay you for something, ask them to pay it forward.
In the end it matters little how selfless I was during this week. I’m going to have to be selfish to get what I want out of life. It doesn’t mean I’ll stop caring about people. It just means I have to care about the people who will have my back in life.
I will make sure to continue being a good person, and just hope in the things will get better for me. I will look to my friends for encouragement and support as I channel their moral values. I have provided pictures below of my top friends and their highest moral values.
The next following weeks are Patience, Charity, Leadership, Diligence, Wisdom, and Work. I’ll still do them, but I’m going to take an extended break from blogging. There will be no further updates until I get better.
