Good Deeds

Years ago, after some employees were laid off, I overheard one of those colleagues state their secret phrase to get into their account as "No good deed goes unpunished". It was one of the most emotional moments I have ever experienced particularly since I just started my job a few months prior and I didn't have many responsibilities and didn't have a family to support unlike many of those who were laid off.

If you grew up in the elementary public education system in RI, you probably participated in the Alan Shawn Feinstein Good Deeds program. Essentially, children journal good deeds that they do and they are rewarded with a membership to various attractions (e.g. museums). This was gamification before it was popular!

While I rushed to fill the journal of good deeds for the Feinstein program (my competitive nature took control), I don't think it was a significant influence for why I like to help others. I think one of my biggest influences was seeing my family help others, including being forced to help others when my father couldn't help others by himself. It was then when I fell entranced by the feeling of giving.

To this day, I like to give back to people when I can. When I see people taking selfies or a parent taking pictures of their children, I offer to take a photo with my camera. For some odd reason, people love it when someone who looks like they know someone about photography takes a photo of them (only if they knew that I'm not that great!).

Seeing little things making people's day is one of the best things; I love seeing things like Improv Everywhere. It just goes to show how something so little to one person can make such a massive impact on another person's life.

One thing that one must not forget is that the world isn't a zero-sum game.