When No One Is Watching

Here’s a question for you…do you do good things when no one is watching?

Imagine this: you’re walking down the street alone and you see a piece of trash. The trash isn’t yours and there’s no trash can around, but do you pick it up?

If the answer is yes, why? What is your motivation? Can you recognize whether you are making a conscious or unconscious decision to pick it up? Is picking up the trash benefitting you in some way or not?

For many of us, the answer is “yes” because this “good” deed is simply a habit. We are taught from a young age to do things like throw away garbage, so when this action is not completed, something inside us feels off. As we all know, breaking a habit is hard to do.

Our habits of goodness are on display every day all day long - it’s a reflection of our integrity, our character, and our manners. Holding open the door for someone, saying good morning to coworkers, smiling at a stranger - all are habits of goodness. But let us challenge you to something new…

We invite you to be more engaged in each of these habits and turn your habits of goodness into rituals of goodness. By engaging your five senses and being completely present during your habits, you can convert a mindless action into a mindful one that will not only bring joy to others but to you as well.