Last updated on February 3, 2015
Ann Roberts// Editor-in-Chief
Around the New Year, there are many people who make resolutions to make a change or take an action within the next coming months.
According to statisticbrain.com, 47 percent of the resolutions that people make are focused on self-improvement or are education related. 38 percent is weight related and 34 percent is money related. The website also lists that 31 percent of New Year’s Resolutions are relationship related.
In the top ten list of resolutions for 2014, to “lose weight” is in first place followed by “getting organized.” Third and fifth are “spend less, save more” and “staying fit and healthy.”
All of these things are admirable goals, but there seems to be something missing. These aims carry an air of being self-oriented.
There is nothing wrong with trying to stay healthy or being more frugal with one’s possessions and planning abilities. However, consideration for your fellow creatures is hardly thought of with these ambitions.
“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile,” said Albert Einstein.
Recently there has popularly been a movement to perform “random acts of kindness.”
“Carry out random acts of kindness, with no expectation of reward. Safe in the knowledge that one day, someone may do the same for you,” said an unattributed quote on searchquotes.com.
Random acts of kindness sound like you did the act without a second thought. Doing something small that was not planned makes it somewhat impersonal. I am not against them but I would like to suggest that we take more interest in our fellow man.
What about a slightly alternate resolve? I propose that more people begin executing “intentional” acts of kindness.
A random act of kindness sounds so thoughtless. In some ways they are nice, it can show that a person’s default reaction is well meaning.
Why can’t one go out of their way to help another person with that specific intention in mind beforehand? Just because an action is premeditated does not mean that the do-gooder should or thinks they should receive recompense for their efforts.
Why don’t we try to go out of our way to make someone else’s day better? The world can be a hard place to live. We can help and love each other instead of always thinking about ourselves.
Children often hear from their parents and babysitters to be kind to each other. My request for us adults to do the same sounds a bit ridiculous.
“When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people,” said Abraham Joshua Heschel.
On this campus at Volunteer State Community College, there are countless opportunities for one to make a significant change in another person’s life. No matter how little you think about it, your actions and words are noticed by somebody. You see people at school everyday. Going out of your way to intentionally help a fellow classmate or associate can start the first stages of a healthy friendship.
This appeal is not like a regular New Year’s Resolution that one can cross out at the end of the term like the achievement of losing fifteen pounds or finally working out an organizational system. This resolution is one that should be practiced without a prompt or a banner.
“A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble,” said Charles H. Spurgeon
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