Last week I stood in line to purchase my obligatory Starbucks coffee only to discover when I went to order and pay that some nice gentleman had already bought me my breakfast. The cashier smiled and handed me his business card: www.thegivingprinciple.com.
Startled by the gesture, I turned to thank the man but he only waved, smiled and shut his car door. His act was so unexpected, so uncharacteristic of the attitudes I’ve encountered during this treacherous spiraling economy, that naturally I suspected an ulterior motive. But when I went to the website, it simply said “We don’t want or need your funds. Give elsewhere.”
Wow, what a concept. Give without entitlement or expectation. Raw, simple, kindness.
The next morning I tested the principle and returned the favor to another unsuspecting, suspicious soul. The woman whose coffee I purchased looked perplexed and hesitant. She even sniffed the coffee cup to make certain its contents had not been compromised.
This is the world we live in. Selflessness is a rare commodity. Integrity is priceless.