World not as ugly for those who do good

The concept of karma – do good things and good things will happen to you – is an utterly optimistic way of looking at the world. But when you really stop and think about the reason the world turned ugly, unrelenting and evil is because we have forgotten what it means to be mutually kind.

Big businesses and banks have stopped taking into account the effects of their actions on the everyday person for hope of higher profit margins, the government almost shuts down because the people we have put in office to protect our best interests use their powers to push ulterior motives. This "I'm just in this world to look out for me" mentality has caused the regular person to forget what it means to do something good for someone else for no reason and without any recognition.

Facebook has spurred a new low for our generation, in regards to apathy, by making support of causes a click away, no real commitment or sacrifice needed. For example, last year the university had a guest speaker talk about the female orgasm and it caused a controversy. There was talk on Facebook that students both opposed the school's involvement in sexual issues and supported the decision of an institution of higher learning to encourage sexual knowledge. The pro-sex education students decided to have a rally showing their support and had many students confirm attendance on a Facebook event. Not a single person attended the rally, not even the group's originator.

Real life is not online, nor is it something you can "like" to show your support. Real life demands real actions that affect real people daily. Actions as small as holding a door an extra few seconds for someone or stopping to help someone change their tire can let people know that kindness is not reserved for starving kids in Africa.

Not only do random acts of kindness improve the recipients' outlook but also the person doing good things. Doing a good deed for somebody makes you feel good, and if you make it a habit to do one small thing a day then you can count on having a better week. I have been trying this on my own during the summer; changing a tire for someone in 100+ degree heat, helping someone struggling with their groceries, all sorts of small things. I'm doing this because I feel like the world is a sad place where everyone is only out for themselves, and now I feel that no matter how dark the world seems, at least I can be somebody's ray of light.