I have been a Boy Scout since I was first allowed to join in first grade. Now, as an Eagle Scout, I have begun exploring other opportunities within the Scouting America umbrella of programs. I am now a Sea Scout, and I will be joining a new Venturing crew soon, as a charter member. I have already recognized some notable differences among the programs, as they relate to the program’s focus, rank requirements, and even uniforms.

However, there is one commonality that unites all members of scouting worldwide – “Do a Good Turn Daily.” Every time I am at a scout meeting of any kind, we always recite this phrase. Scouts say it, but do they practice it? Do they live it?

I can remember as a young Cub Scout getting my rank. We would wear the rank upside down until we had done a good deed that would result in a turning over and sewing on of the patch. Oh, the memories.

Society, as a collective, do they live by the principles of doing a good turn daily? Does society purposefully try to brighten someone’s day?

Imagine walking down the street and on the ground sits a mother and her young child in need. So often, people walk on by, ignoring not only the external struggles of life, but also the struggles that are internal, locked away by people who seem perfectly okay on the outside.

Now, imagine that one person who sees the mother and young child stops and does something to help them. That something, big or small, makes a difference to not only the mother and child, but also to the person who, by helping, did their good turn.

Life is so short and so often under-appreciated. We live our day by day just trying to get through the day. Rarely do we consider those around us or the difference that it would make in someone’s day or even life if we could just put a smile on their face.

Doing a good turn does not require money. Doing a good turn requires compassion and empathy. Just because someone else’s struggles may not be our own does not mean that we are not all going through something.

Smiling, joy, and laughter are all infectious. It is possible to brighten your own day by brightening someone else’s. It is possible to find joy in life by doing something small for a person other than yourself. It is possible…

A small conversation, a joke, almost anything can make a person feel seen. The phrase, “you made my day,” is not used lightly. Kindness makes the world a better place, but, moreover, it makes life much more enjoyable.

Live your life so that everyday you will be able to say, “I did my good turn today.”