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Today's
quotation:
And
when we come to think of it, goodness is uneventful. It
does
not flash, it glows. It is deep, quiet,
and very
simple. It passes not with oratory, it is commonly
foreign to riches,
nor does it often sit in the places of
the mighty: but may
be felt in the touch
of a friendly
hand
or the look of a
kindly eye.
David
Grayson
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Today's
Meditation:
For
goodness' sake! What is goodness? Is it
something that we have inside of us from the day that
we're born, or something that we have to develop
ourselves? Can we always recognize it when we see
it? Can we copy it when we see it in someone else?
Goodness
has so much to do with intentions. I know someone
who constantly tries to prove what a "good"
person he is. Unfortunately, everyone realizes that
his "good" actions happen in order to try to
show off to others and earn their respect and
praise. His "goodness," therefore, is
little more than selfishness, which is quite sad, when all
is said and done. For example, he showers his kids
with attention and gifts (he's divorced and doesn't have
custody), yet it's quite obvious that all that he does is
for his own benefit, to make himself feel better about all
of the years that he neglected them. The kids
themselves feel very uncomfortable about the way he treats
them, and one of them doesn't even go to see him any more.
Goodness
has to come from the heart--that's one thing I know for
sure. I also know for sure that not everything that
comes from my heart is goodness, and that's something I'm
working on. Goodness has to be pure in intention,
and I know that my good acts aren't always intended solely
for the good of the recipients. I'm working on that,
too. When I truly do good, there's a very good
chance that no one ever will notice it, and I'll never be
recognized as someone who has done something good.
When I can live with that and be at peace with it, I know
that I'll have reached a very high level of living.
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