Help don’t hinder

 

Dear Fe-liners,

I am a big believer in Karma and I think that the way that we act towards others comes back to us. I know that a lot of people don’t share my belief and see any fortunate/unfortunate happenings as coincidence, but that’s not what I believe. I don’t believe in organised religion but I do think there is a greater power in the universe and therefore I do my best to help others, say thank you, be grateful and just generally make my existence on this planet a good one.

The reason I am writing this piece now is that I have had some experiences recently that have left me wanting to yell: “help don’t hinder.” Twice in the supermarket recently, I have had people tutting at me because I was taking so long at the checkout getting my bits together, one woman actually rammed her trolley into my ankles. Now, I know that people are busy BUT I have a little baby and I am new to being a mum and it does take me longer to get my bits together these days as I have to do my mental check list, baby, shopping, wallet, credit card etc.

The other thing that has made me a little sad recently is blogging, yes I know one of my true loves is making me sad. I love writing and I think that my writing is on the whole very positive, and especially about others and what they are doing. In one of my old jobs, I was called an “annoying, over-positive, cheerleader” but I took that as a compliment, we should support others endeavours. So it makes me so sad to read negative blogs, blogs that are written to put others down, just out of spite, jealousy and hate. I am of the opinion if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say it at all. I know we all have the right to an opinion but the internet is there forever and I like to look to the school of Destiny’s Child for life lessons: “I’m not going to diss you on the internet because my mamma taught me better than that.”

All of this has really got into my head recently and I have been trying to follow my “help, don’t hinder” advice. So the other day when I was walking home I helped an old lady with her shopping trolley, she was getting everything out of it and looking for something for her daughter and getting herself into a right state. I could have walked past and left her to it, but I helped her to find what she was looking for. Then when I went to collect some print the other day, I brought a homeless guy a hamburger, I could have just left him to it and kept my money to myself but I think he needed that couple of quid more than me at that point. So after these couple of things I was in the supermarket again and struggling with the pushchair and a basket and instead of someone slamming into my ankles the checkout assistant saw me and bounded over and offered to take my basket off me and helped me to the till. Coincidence maybe, karma, maybe, either way I did good, I felt good and something good happened to me.

I think I am just saying be we need to be conscious of your behaviour, they (who are they anyway) keep telling us that we need more money, we need to do things quickly and that it’s OK to speak to people like Alan Sugar on the Apprentice. But how does this make us feel? Stressed, anxious? And how does it make others feel? Angry, a bit c@$p? So what if you gave someone a couple of minutes of your time, helped a parent with their baby, gave someone a compliment, used your little bit of the internet to write something nice, rescued a kitten from the rescue centre (sorry I had to add that one, it is Fe-line). You might not believe like me in karma but it will make someone else smile, it will make someone else’s day and that in turn will make you feel good, trust me! And as Nada Surf sang: “Always love, hate will get you every time.”

If I have inspired you to do something nice for someone else today, tweet @felinewomen and let us know what it is using the #helpdonthinder,

Have a nice day,