What's the REAL Reason We Do Nice Things?

What possesses us to do nice things?
Have you ever given money to someone on the street?
Held the door open for a stranger?
Carried someone’s bags for them?
Left a more-than-generous tip?
Shoveled snow for someone without asking?
Realized you walked out of a store without paying for something so you went back and paid for it instead of keeping it?

What is the mindset for doing nice or good things?
Do we subconsciously have an ulterior motive?

If you do something nice, do you believe something nice will happen to you?
Do you need your ego stroked (“hey, I’m such a nice person”)?
Do you need praise from others for doing something nice?
Do you expect God to do you a favor in return?

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In other words, do you only do good or nice things because you think something good will happen to you in return? Karma, you know...

So does that make you wonder: are you truly a good person or do you think you’ll get repaid in one way or another? How do you really feel when you lend someone a helping hand who didn’t ask for it? If you see someone in need, do you hesitate, say “oh, geez” under your breath because it stops your current routine, and go help anyway so you won’t feel guilty? If it takes you out of your way and it’s a slight bother, then why do you do it? What’s the justification?

Whatever the outcome, most of the time it makes us feel good to do something unexpectedly nice for someone. We don’t intentionally go out and perform good deeds all day long.....it’s the unexpected, unplanned little things that make us feel the best.

Whatever you feel after doing something nice for someone, whether you’re proud of yourself or pat yourself on the back, if it’s an ego boost or not – the point is, the person who benefitted from your good deed is grateful and thinks you’re a pretty good person, whether you did it for the self-kudos or not.

So in closing, how do YOU feel after doing a good deed, no matter how small?
What do you think you deserve, if anything?

Bottom line: you did a good thing.
You just added extra inches to your wings.