On a Cloud

I was listening to a discussion on how some countries love to “donate” money to the less powerful ones. I placed the word donate in quotation marks because they said this is done by the powerful to those with less. The argument was that yes, the funds are free. But are they when these donors negotiate and ask for something in return? That got me thinking that this is not only a political thing, but something that has become a way of life for so many of us. 

The idea that nothing is ever free struck a chord with me. It reminded me of people who may be generous to others but do not always do it out of the kindness of their hearts. Or that may have been the original intention, but in the end, it becomes something else. I usually see it in TV dramas, but I know that situations like this do happen in real life. Someone does something good and says they don’t want anything in return. Later, if the person they helped does not let that other person have their way, they end up being called ungrateful. 

This give-and-take culture is an I scratch your back, you scratch mine kind of thing. It is more common these days than I wish it was. It does kind of give some legitimacy to the statement that nothing is ever free. Instead of an act of generosity without any strings, it has become more about owing someone or being owed. Or it is being used to lift a person, a company, or a nation’s image. For some, being generous means a large tax break too.  

We see examples of kindness wrapped with other agendas a lot in the PR industry. Donations are given for the publicity it generates. For the image it projects. For the status it gives that labels donors as “generous” people, corporations, or even countries. There could be an argument here that they are doing it in public to inspire others to do the same, but I don't see it this way. Some people or companies donate without a press release, but that is not always the case. The majority still seems to be doing it for the bottom line. And yes, that is what businesses do. That’s what marketing and PR are for. I wish that these things did not have all these strings attached. 

I admire people who do good things without any fanfare because those are the sincere ones. They are not asking for acknowledgment for their kindness. They are not doing it to go viral for their generosity. By being anonymous, it shows that they are not expecting anything in return. Sometimes we hear about them and what they did from the people they have helped. But for the most part, you would never hear them talk about it to other people. Those are good people. And I hope they receive even more blessings so that they can continue to do good and sincere deeds for others.  

This makes me wonder if I have done anything kind without asking or expecting anything in return. Or if I have done things without the need to share that I did it with others. This idea is making me reflect on my actions and the intentions behind them. One thing that I am sure of is that I will be more mindful of this from now on.