How many times in your life have you performed a selfless act?
Let me first throw some light on the ‘dictionary’ meaning of selfless.
Selfless- “Concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with one’s own; unselfish”
When you read the actual meaning of the word “selfless” then you actually start to think to yourself that did you or did you not, ever perform such an act. Right now I am able to count just one. Don’t count in giving money to the poor as selfless. That is something else. Can you remember something? I had a hard time thinking about mine. It is a rarity.
Even if some people are doing charity then most of the times they are not doing a selfless act. It is just an act to show people that they care about the society. Charity for most of them is a tax heaven where they are exempted from paying taxes. While we drop a coin in a box, it is more of a habit. The concept of selfless act is complicated in my opinion. You can never tell if a person is actually doing a selfless act or is trying to even out his acts.
Mostly people like me do these “selfless acts” to balance out our karmas, true story. You do bad and then the next thing you feel like doing is doing something “good” for someone and then you end up doing something. For me that act has hidden motives and it is not “selfless. I am not being negative about people doing those things. But I am just saying that they don’t come under the concept of selfless acts.
An act is selfless when you gain nothing in return. Only a little satisfaction in the corner of your heart is all you can get. As I am thinking and writing, I realize that these are just simple acts which we should do and proudly call selfless. I once carried an old woman’s luggage across the entire length of the railway station. Nobody knows it and you are definitely the first one to know it. I can proudly say that I had no hidden motives but just an intention to help out that old lady.
Why do we have a dearth of these acts? Why are we becoming so selfish and self-absorbed that even if we are doing something good then we have a motive to fulfill? Isn’t it high time that we change our ways?
I feel bad for myself and for millions of other people who are struggling in their self-absorbed life. Something as simple as offering our seat in a metro can also be selfless. Small, simple and thoughtful. These are some keys. These acts may give you a little pain and push you out of your comfort zone, so be it. Do something which is not selfish. It will make you feel blissful. Selfless also means to keep your family happy and spread love even if you are not happy. So that the aura around you is nothing but cheerful. This is the least you can do.
