What Keeps You Awake at Night?
Am I a Good Person?
“Be good to people. You will be remembered more for your kindness than any level of success you could possibly attain.” — Mandy Hale
How do you define what a good person is? Depending upon your view, it could mean:
· Someone who plays by society’s rules meaning that you don’t break the law, commit crimes, lie, or cheat.
· What others such as friends, family, coworkers and others who know you, say about you.
· What you accomplish during your life. Have you done good deeds, saved lives or souls, raised a good family, made others happy, and the like?
Another way to look at this is do you possess and practice the four virtues as defined by Aristotle and the Greek philosophers? These are:
· Wisdom — using your knowledge to make good decisions. That means studying things, gathering information and seeking other’s advice before deciding on a course of action.
· Temperance or Moderation — Not being extreme. Managing your emotions and having a good perspective on your accomplishments without being egotistical about it.
· Fairness — Treating others with respect and giving them credit when it is due. Treating them as you want to be treated (The Golden Rule).
· Courage — Doing the right thing and standing up for what you believe in, especially when it is difficult to do so. That means standing up for those oppressed, taking responsibility for your mistakes, and following a moral compass throughout your life.
“You can become a good person by kindness, compassion & love only. But you can become a great person revolving it mutually. Don’t stop being a good person because of bad people, because you’re not being good for the bad in the world but to uphold the good in it.”
If you’re thinking whether or not you’re a bad person, you’re probably not one.
Bad people do not think about whether they are bad. They simply act on their own behalf, doing evil for no particular reason. A bad person would never even ponder whether they were good or evil. They would just act without such a thought or consideration. Evil is something you do for no reason. Imagine you mistreat someone, especially for no reason. That’s being a bad person.
But what if you defend someone from another person? Whether you use hurtful words or your physical strength if they are attacking him, are you being bad then? Not if you are doing the things you do for a good reason and outcome. Therefore, being a good person is not something that goes away if and when we make a mistake or have to deviate from our norm. That is just a part of being human.
“A truly good person will speak truth, act with truth, and stand for truth. A truly good person is not afraid to think from their heart; therefore, allowing nonconformist decisions, viewpoints, and perspectives to lead their life.”
If you are conflicted about whether you are good or bad, just go through the attributes listed above.
If you are fulfilling what has been mentioned about what others think it takes to be classified as good, you are probably there. If not, you may have some work to do, but by and large you are definitely leaning to the good.
Just keep doing what you are doing and don’t stop being the person you are. You can always do more, everyone can. That doesn’t mean making drastic changes or giving away everything you have to the less fortunate. It means that you show more kindness to others, volunteer more often and make sure you are making the right decisions about your thoughts and actions about yourself and those around you.
And stop worrying about what kind of person you are.
The reaction of others to you will tell you all you need to know. If people want to be with you and to deal with you regularly it means that they see who and what you are and that is an indication that you are truly a good person.
Similarly, if no one wants to give you the time of day, you have got some changing to do. That doesn’t mean you spend your time fretting about it, just do it.
Let the good person inside you shine through. Stop worrying about whether you are good or bad. Let your actions and others speak for that. And most of all, don’t lose sleep over it. Do not let this be something that Keeps You Awake at Night.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter H. Christian was a founding partner and president of espi, a business consulting firm in Northeastern PA. Previously he was an Executive at Crayola Corporation. He has worked with 300+ clients in business development, profit improvement, operations, IS selection and implementation, and Project Management. He has 40+ years of experience in strategic and facility planning, CI, lean, and supply chain. He has helped companies to realize millions of dollars in cost reductions and profit improvements adding and retaining thousands of jobs. He has authored the Amazon bestselling business books, “What About the Vermin Problem?” and “Influences and Influencers” (4 out of 4 star review on Online Bookclub) which are highlighted in his profile. He is also published in a variety of professional magazines. He is most appreciative of Dr. Rodney Ridley, Donald Schalk and Gaetan Gianinni of Alvernia University for their support in allowing him to teach Project Management at the University.
