Thanksgiving Quest - Becoming Otherish - AKA becoming less selfish.

selfish - concerned with one's own profit or pleasure

It is really easy to be selfish, it comes naturally.  To a limited extent, it is a good thing -- it helps us survive.  But, mostly it's a bad thing (I won't attempt to explain why).  Unfortunately our society, (American consumer society) encourages selfish behavior.  The same society does still give lip service to the idea that selfishness is bad, but it really is only lip service.  So if one is not careful one can get really out of balance.  In examining my life, I realized, I was out of balance.  I want to right that balance.

otherish - concerned with other's profit or pleasure

Ok, I made up otherish. A quick look on internet, shows that I'm not the first to invent the word (of course I'm not, there are no new ideas!)  Yes, there is already the word selfless, but the word is flawed because it still has the word "self" in it.

I want to be more otherish.  To do that I've decided to mindfully do at least one thing every day that is   concerned with other's profit or pleasure.  

Day 1: Today I did two things in this category.

1. I picked up some trash outside the grocery store.

2. I bought 20 $5 McDonalds gift cards to give to beggars.  We often have beggars on street corners here in San Jose.  Many say that they don't need the money, or that they spend it on drugs and alcohol, but generally I avoid judging them and just give them a dollar.  After-all all of us would be beggars without a very large portion of chance, fortune or god's blessing (choose one - based on your personal philosophy or religious beliefs).  The McDonalds gift cards lets me give without worrying as much about being part of the problem.

I'll keep a supply of the cards in my car and in my wife's car so that it will be easy to give them out.

Note: I realize McDonalds is not the healthiest meal, but I suspect that it will be appreciated by those who receive it.  We will see.