Explanation

I am always touched when I hear stories of courage and compassion, stories of regular people reaching out to connect with a human being in some way, stories of heroes past or present who look outward beyond themselves and leave a legacy of good behind them, instilling a flicker of hope in discouraged hearts. Stories of regular people who help make our world a better one to live in. When I hear of these stories, big or small,  I am changed for a moment, I am determined to be a better citizen under whatever hats I wear. It lasts for an hour, maybe a day or two. Then, inevitably, the emotion is dimmed until it's almost forgotten, and I go on living my life sometimes forgetting how much the human race needs each other. Why are those moments of realized purpose so short lived? In speaking for myself, why do I forget so easily? That's why it means so much to me to hear of people breaking that wall down for a moment, no matter how brief. These stories encourage me to keep trying to look outward and remember a little longer. They remind me how much potential we have for good to lift another person. These stories remind me that it doesn't always take a lot of effort to encourage someone to believe in the goodness of others, or not to give in to despair, perhaps even steering them away from a path that could have devastating results. And sometimes these stories do come at a great effort and unimaginable sacrifice on the part of the giver. Whether large or small, acts of choosing good or inspiring another person add up little by little, until, over time, the capacity for maintaining and strengthening a society for the better is enormous. We have the power in our hands as individuals to determine, by the choices we make in regards to others and our basic tendency toward right or wrong, the kind of society we live in. The things we do affect the nature of our society, which affect ALL of us.

My main goal is to use this blog as a tool to help me pay more attention to the goodness around me, helping me to in turn remember to reach out to others. I hope this blog inspires others as well. I can attest that when I DO look outward, I am certainly more happy and content in my life, than when I am just thinking about myself. We make life count for something more than just mundane surviving when we look outward.  I am excited to take notice of acts of service and moments of human connection and then write about them, and include stories in history that have meant a lot to me.  Actually, I haven't been this excited about something in a long time!