Day 175
I went for a jog today. I was not motivated at all. I felt tired and it was cold. I still managed to convince myself to go. I didn't regret it. I felt so much better afterwards.
While I was jogging, on two occasions I had the opportunity to help somebody. It happens to me all the time, but for some reason, I don't always do it. A woman was carrying a box and wanted to open her car door. Her hands were full and she was struggling to try to get her key. I could have offered my help, but somehow I felt uncomfortable, so I refrained from doing it.
As I continued jogging, I wondered how I would have felt if someone had approached me in that same situation. My natural instinct would have probably been to refuse help. Our society has become so paranoid and individualistic, that when strangers offer help - or even just smile at us for that matter - we wonder what they want from us and we automatically say no. For that reason, accepting kindness from strangers and helping strangers has become a rare phenomenon.
I decided right there and then that from now on, anytime I want to offer my help to someone, I'll just go ahead and do it, no matter what the outcome is. So, as I was approaching my house, a woman had just taken a big box out of a car. She did not have her jacket on. She was in front of her apartment building. As the car drove off, she started running after it, obviously having forgotten to take something out of the car or to say something to the driver.
Right away, I asked her if she needed to use my cellular phone to call her friend back. She refused, but warmly thanked me. I felt good, like I had done the right thing. It wasn't much, but still I was happy about it Sometimes, it's not about being successful in helping a person, but only about feeling like you're doing what all human beings should be doing: offer help to someone who needs it.
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