When I saw this prompt, my mind went to different directions.
The truth is, the older I get the more I realize that being a good person isn't as straightforward as we often think.
For me, a good person is not someone who has a perfect past or someone who has never made a mistake. Infact I don't think such person exists. Being human comes with flaws.
What truly defines a good person is what they choose to do despite the situation.
If I had to pick one definition of a good person, I would choose kindness.
When I talk about kindness, I don't mean the ones people set up their cameras to do, so that people will see them. The one I'm talking about is the kindness someone shows in private. When no one is watching.
The kind where you share the little you have without expecting anything in return. The kind where you are careful with your words because it might hurt another person. That is my own definition of kindness.
I remembered sometime ago when I was really going through some difficulties. I kept a lot of struggles to myself because I didn't want to burden anyone. One afternoon, an old time friend I never expected, called
Me and said she just wanted to check up on me.
That call gave me a sense of being truly loved and cared for.
Since then I have realized that simple "How are you doing?" Means a lot to someone and I have been intentional about checking up on people.
I also believe a good person is someone that takes responsibility for their actions instead of blaming it on another person. It is easy to point fingers when things are not going well but owning up to our mistakes takes a lot of maturity.
Most of the compassionate people I know are those who have experience failure, pain and regrets. Their past humbled them. It taught them what empathy is all about. Their experiences shaped them into better people.
Finally, at the end of the day, being a good person is not about being perfect, it's all about trying to be a better version of what you were yesterday. It is choosing to apologize when you are write, taking responsibilities for your actions, forgiving others, help when you can and learning how to treat people with dignity no matter your status. This is what truly defines a good person.
Image is ai generated.
