I have always believed that everyone is capable of good. Whether it be good actions, good words, good ideas... I know somewhere inside all of us is a sprinkle of goodness. Now if you believe in God like myself, that's where I assume most of our goodness comes from, however, there are several other possibilities of how we get it. Ever since I was a little human in this big world I have seen people do the good and the bad. Never has it altered my view of life and all the goodness, until recently.
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A couple days ago it was warmer day for January in the Midwest, so I took it upon myself to stick to my resolutions and take my pup for a walk. It was our normal route through the park and it should've lasted about half an hour. Nearing the end of the our path, these women were running up to me with fear and alarm all over their faces. They were shouting to let me know that they were just robbed a little bit further down the path and the guy had a gun. I looked around in disbelief that there would be someone interrupting my walk and acting this way towards innocent people, plus it was early afternoon and broad daylight. But despite my stubborn optimistic attitude, I saw the man making his way down the path, thankfully in the other direction. I became more nervous as he turned out of sight and the thought of him acting this way to others made me sick. We called the police and thankfully they found him before anything else happened and no one was hurt physically.
Except, we were all a bit hurt emotionally. As I made my way home I couldn't help but shake the thought of someone being so bad. I know this good/bad language sounds so elementary, but there are no other words. This was a straight up bad situation. I went about my day trying to relax and continue my own goodness. I decided that the man probably had more going on in his life than we knew and for some reason, felt called to act violently. I prayed for him and let it go.
The problem with finding the good in everyone and everything is that when it comes to trust, it can be risky. When you put your trust in others you are giving more than just surface level confidence. I trust my friends and family to support me. I trust cops to protect me. I trust that teachers are teaching me the skills I need and that the food I'm being served is safe to eat and will taste good. However how can anyone know for sure? I thought I was going for a walk in the park, something I do everyday, and it could have been fatal.
You can't stop living life because there are bad people and bad things in the world, but one thing you can do is spread goodness and eliminate negativity. It's okay to not see goodness in everyone. It's okay to let them go if you have given them several chances. Recent events in my life have shown me that there are people I need to let go of. People who aren't "good" for me. Kind of like sugary treats, Dr. Pepper, and putting extra butter on my mashed potatoes. (Sorry its resolution season). But in all seriousness, it is important to surround yourself with positive people who see good in you and do things that make you feel good. Trust the people you love, but don't assume that everything they do is great. If someone is hurting you mentally or physcially, find out why and try to change it. It's a new year, which is a prime time to make adjustments in your life. Although, anytime is a prime time to make yourself better and do more good.
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