Good for Something

"You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others."--President Gordon B. Hinckley

So the question is...

"Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad,
or made someone feel glad?
If not I have failed indeed.
Has any one's burdens been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?"

There are things we can do daily to better ourselves and better the world around us. We can be "actively engaged in a good cause". That good cause doesn't always need to be some big charity event, but more often than not it is the small and simple things we do for others that spreads our goodness.

I have been the recipient of much goodness. I have good friends, family, and neighbors who often volunteer some act of service or an encouraging phone call. I as well try my best to share goodness...often in the form of baked goods. I want my children to learn to love others and to serve them. I want them to show kindness to kids at school. I want them to help when no one else offers.

I'm trying to teach by example, I fall short many times...but I try. A long time ago we started asking the kids at the dinner table, "what did you do for someone today?" for the first few weeks we got, "I don't know." I would love to say that after a while we started getting good answers, but the truth be told, I stopped asking. So, starting Monday after a "Share your Goodness Family Night" we will be reinstating the "what did you do for someone?" dinner conversation.

My hope is that I will be more focused on service and in turn my kids will be mindful of it and act on their goodness.