Picking Up Branches

Today I went bike riding around my neighborhood and came across a bunch of down palm tree branches lying throughout the street and sidewalk areas. So on my way back from where I was going, instead of just passing them all by again I stopped at each one and moved them to the side of the road where no bike rider or motorist would run over them.

I know this seems like a very small thing that really doesn't help anyone in particular, I mean, no one was really going to get injured because of these branches, well maybe, but it made me realize that doing good doesn't just mean helping your neighbor become a better person, it means just not being lazy and thoughtless. Why, for instance, as I passed by the branches the first time and thought 'hey, someone could get hurt?' did I just pass by them? Laziness, and a lack of real caring about anything. Apathy.

The point is, in order to be good people we have to be consistently good and constantly acting on our thoughts for good no matter how small or insignificant they may seem.

This act of picking up the branches, btw, has led to a great day so far, because just doing something you know you should do makes you feel good about yourself, which in turn makes you happier, which in turn makes you treat other people better, which in turn makes them happier, which in turn helps send a ripple effect of positivity through your little world.

And it all started because I decided to pick up some branches that were lying in the street, instead of just passing them by.