A Good Person

This is an attempt to give form to something that can be as abstract as art! :-P

v  Who is a good person?

     Everyone has their own way to define a good person. For me, a person with both good character and good habits is a good person. Yes, even if you have one habit that comes in my ‘bad habits’ list, I ain't gonna consider you good ‘enough’! :-P :-P Again, as I have discussed in one of my previous posts, good or bad is a relative concept. What might be good according to you might be bad according to me! My criteria may be a reflection of what I have seen while growing up, which has influenced me and that’s what I eventually grow up believing. (That’s why it is said you can mold a child the way you want to, so make sure you are giving it the right environment to grow!) :) For someone else, the definition for a good person might be totally different. :) 

v  Standing by your definition of goodness!

Once you get your definition down, then you have to stick with it wherever you go, no matter what you do. Others will always try to change your definition of ‘good’, especially when it makes them feel bad about them­selves. ;)

v  Quantifying goodness!

Talking in that manner, everyone has goodness in them. But how much? So how good should you have done/ been in life to be called a ‘good person’?
How can you be a good person?

v  Are you a good person?

That depends on your definition of a good person. All that you want to see in a person that makes him good. Do you fulfill your own set criteria of being a good person? :) If yes, then you are a good person in your own eyes! But to the world….? ;)

v  Do your actions speak louder than words?

If you are willing to give up your life to be ‘good’, then there can be no higher goal in living than being good! Others might call you a fool, but you always win when you do the right thing. You're not doing anyone any favors by being good, you're simply doing what the ‘inner you’ wants. :)

v  Goodness is INHERITED! :) – My personal take…

This is “my” theory of being a good person and I am fully convinced about it. I think it is totally totally something that is inherited. This comes with an inbuilt praise for the persons’ parent(s) depending on whether he’s inherited it from his mother or father or both! It’s in his blood. Something very obvious and natural. This is also a reflection of the family background of the person, the rich culture he is exposed to and taught about, how well he accepts it, believes it and sincerely follows it throughout his life without going astray. Regardless of his parents guiding him to do something or not, he does the right thing because he has it in him. He cannot kill his conscience and do anything that is not supposed to be done.    

v  Peer Pressure!

So many people change because of the company they have. Bad influence is all around. I don’t see any peer, pressuring you to do good stuff! :P Exceptions cannot be examples! ;)  :) Goodness is an intrinsic trait and should not be influenced EVEN if your best friend doesn’t believe in it. C’mon! Your job is not to clarify what you believe in to every person on earth! :)  

v  Following a Guru enhances your goodness! :)

It is said “Matha Pitha Guru Deivam”. First comes the mother who gives birth to the child, thereby bringing us as a child into this world. Next comes the father, because it is the mother who knows the truth about the father and she points us to the father. The mother and father then take us to the teacher (Guru), and it is the Guru, through his or her teachings, points us to God. A Guru shows you the right path and influences your thinking in a good way. Your actions, decisions, reactions etc. is influenced by your Guru’s preaching and your devotion to God. :)

v  Having a spiritual inclination.

A indulgence in spirituality influences and enhances our existing thought processes. It’s like a catalyst that increases the rate of reaction! ;) It keeps you grounded and makes you sensible. It gives you a direction in life. 

v  Being yourself; Standing alone.

Often having a concrete mindset about certain aspects might shoo away many people from your life because people love fooling around when they know they won’t get caught. Integrity is doing the right thing when you are not being watched.  As I always say, it’s better to be alone or with like- minded people than being with a bunch of orangutans who don’t understand law and order! :-P

v  Internal conflicts!

This conflict is between your body and your soul. Your eternal soul seeks permanence. It wants to do all the right things: to love humanity, seek justice, be altruistic, sensible, honorable and responsible. Your soul strives to fulfill its potential. Meanwhile, your body, which is destined for the grave, seeks satisfaction for the moment. Drawn by comfort and effortlessness, it wants to eat, to sleep, to lust. Of course, happiness is more important. But that's just the intellectual understanding of the soul. On the other hand, the body is distracted by the sight of those green stacks of bills! Bodily desire confuses our thinking. Materialism can look so attractive that we become deluded into thinking that's what we really want! Unless you make the effort to distinguish between your wants and your desires, and to clarify which aspect is influencing your actions, then you're likely to lose valuable opportunities to accomplish your goals, the baap-of-all-your-goals being to be a good person. :)

      Setting a criteria for being good or bad is very cruel thing to do in a way. :-P ;-P Opinions will differ. I'm sure all of you have your own opinion on it! What's yours?

    

      June 2^nd, 2012