With Thanksgiving right around the corner, everybody has giving back on their mind (at least hopefully)! I find it important to be thankful for our friends and family but viewing this holiday from a different view, I see that some people can be thankful for different things than I would initially think of. For some people, being thankful means being grateful for material things while others may be thankful for spiritual aspects of life such as happiness. I had a presentation in Religion with a few other people and we were discussing agape love and the importance of spreading selfless love throughout the community. When researching some information, we incorporated a few videos that clearly demonstrate giving back to others without any expectations in return. It seemed appropriate to show these videos since Thanksgiving is surrounded by agape. A key point about agape is that it’s spreading love to others who are deserving; therefore, providing agape to someone – even a stranger – could be a reason they are thankful this holiday season, not just because of the dinner they have planned or any gifts they may receive.
This first video is actually a Thai Life insurance commercial, but it clearly demonstrates a philanthropic mindset that everybody should try to achieve or actively work towards.
I had never seen this next video before until somebody in my Religion group brought it to my attention. I thought it was very creative and had a nice spin on it that makes you feel appreciative of the community. It’s surprising how little acts of kindness really make somebody’s day!
This last video does not relate to the others in the sense that it covers homelessness instead of acts of kindness. I thought this video was very moving and really made you reevaluate homeless people you mindlessly pass on the street. Hopefully it makes you see the community differently and give you a new perspective of the “poor” you come across.
I really hope you were able to take the time to watch these three videos because they elicit a philanthropic attitude but also seriously ground you at the same time. I think it’s very important that people take a new perspective on the way they treat others and try to show love through intentional, unconditional and selfless actions. I challenge you over this Thanksgiving break to start a domino effect of kindness with your friends or family and see how that can impact your day as well as somebody else’s.
Have a safe and relaxing break and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @hopeleslie15.