Bethea's Blog

October 30, 2022 – Little Things Mean a Lot

With the holidays coming up, hopefully people will keep in mind "peace on Earth, goodwill toward men," and not just to stay off of Santa's naughty list, but because it's the kind of sentiment we should take to heart every day of the year. And the best way I know to exemplify that is through doing good deeds, simple acts of kindness. When I was young, my nana (that’s what I always called my paternal grandmother) used to say that good deeds were the building blocks of a good life. I must confess that at that age, I didn’t really understand that concept, but I do now and completely agree with it. I think we could all use an extra dose of hope now along with some goodness thrown in! I watched a good movie this past weekend, "Pay It Forward," which reminded me of this idea. In the story, a little boy begins a cycle of offering help to three people and then each of them on their end returns the favor to three more people. As you can imagine, over the course of the film, people’s lives are changed in dramatic ways after they receive help, and they all go on to do similar good deeds for others.

While that story actually plays out in a film, there is plenty of evidence showing how the cycle of doing good helps to create a better world. Just Google it and you'll see what I mean! Good deeds and paying it forward are great ways to plant seeds of goodwill that can grow and bear fruit down the road. One of the best things about this kind of seeding is that it makes you feel good. Doing a thoughtful deed for someone else opens your heart and fills it with warmth. And you don’t have to be rich or powerful to plant seeds of kindness. All it takes is a willingness to look out for opportunities to help others.

Acts of kindness can start in simple ways, such as a smile for that harried grocery clerk or holding the door for a tired mother who’s preoccupied with her little ones. Keep this old saying in mind: "Little things mean a lot." Or you can take it a step further and offer help to people in need... And, unfortunately, there are always plenty of opportunities to do that! Perhaps someone you know could use a heart-to-heart talk about the challenges they're facing, or an elderly or sickly person in your neighborhood or building could use help with their shopping. If you put your head to it, I’ll bet some ideas will come to you pretty quickly.

It doesn’t really matter how you seed kindnesses... as long as you're looking for opportunities to do so and then take advantage of them when you see the need. And don't ever forget that in the process of doing good for others, even if it’s something small, we improve the lives of others (and our own as well), in addition to building better, stronger, and more meaningful relationships. That's what I call a win-win situation! Blessings always!

Your Friend and Astrologer,

Bethea