Kindness That Goes Unnoticed

Anecdotes from my life which remind me that goodness still exists in this world.

A couple weeks ago, I read a thought-provoking newsletter titled A Few Things I Remember (a must-read) by

Matthew Gutierrez

that introduced me to an interesting concept called Eulogy Virtues.

Eulogy Virtue is a term coined by David Brooks in 2015, which basically talks about various qualities that humans possess that they would not think of putting on their professional resume. These virtues are not typically associated with external achievements but rather reflect our character, values and the impact we have on others.

For days, I could not get this thought out of my head. It made me realised that goodness still exists in this world that is often portrayed as a dark place. (silver linings, right?). I decided to show up today with a list of anecdotes where people beyond my immediate family have displayed kindness and warmth towards me in my life so far.

• My economics professor in college went above and beyond to help me get my first article about stock market bubbles published in a journal. He was the first person to make me realise that my writings could be of value to this world. (The reason you are reading this newsletter today.)

• My best friend of 20 years randomly called the landline number of my house one day (which she had memorised as a child) because I was not answering my calls. 

• A senior colleague who mentored me in the initial days of my first corporate job called to wish me luck and thanked me for my contribution to the firm the day I resigned.

• I was touring restaurants for food photography for my sales job, and as I was leaving a shop, the staff offered me a cold beverage as it was hot outside, and I visibly looked tired. When I offered to pay, they kindly refused to accept money.

• My mentor told me that I, a 23-year-old novice still trying to carve my own path in this chaotic world, acted as a reverse mentor to him on several occasions. It is rare to find people who rank highly in society but are still willing to learn from every person they cross paths with.

• A little girl from an NGO I used to visit in college unintentionally taught me the value of gratitude by frequently telling me that she appreciates what little she has. 

• Very recently, a friend of mine was at my doorstep with tons of different flavours of ice creams the day I experienced my first big failure.

• I recently purchased an item from a small business, and they sent me an extra gift as a token of appreciation for discovering and supporting their small endeavour.

• A cab driver once told me that his biggest priority in life was to fund his daughter's education. He told me how happy he was that I chose to chase my dreams. Sometimes, we don’t realise that the opportunities that come naturally to us may be a luxury in someone else’s life.

This week, I encourage you to think about the unexpected ways people have shown up for you with nothing but kindness in your life. Would love to hear some interesting anecdotes in the comments below.

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

– Maya Angelou