What happened to the times when we held doors open for the person behind us? Or simply smiled at a person passing by?

What happened to the times when people did nice deeds just because it made the other person feel good?

Now it seems we only do a nice deed for someone when we get awarded for it. Doing a nice deed for someone is not a hard thing to do and it often means a lot to a person.

Let’s take a second to do some basic math. We have 24 hours in one day, which means we have 1,440 minutes in each day to do whatever we need to accomplish that day.

Doing a nice deed for someone should take about a minute or two, which leaves you with 1,438 minutes left to do what you need to achieve within that day.

It is so upsetting that out of 24 hours every day, I rarely see a nice deed happening.

Nice deeds can be done so effortlessly: holding open a door, picking up an item that someone dropped, or even a simple compliment or smile can make one’s day go from bad to good or a good day to an even greater one.

Mrs. Diane Wagoner, Power of 100 adviser, said doing something nice for someone can do more good than most people think.

“It’s the best remedy for depression and sadness,” Wagoner said.

Doing a nice deed is a great way to let someone know that they are not alone and make them feel appreciated.

It is also a way to self-motivate one person to do a nice deed for someone else, which is also known as paying it forward.

Junior Christopher Ropp said it makes him feel delightful when he does a nice deed for someone.

Ropp said, “It makes me want to do more and more for people.”

People often miss friendships they could have made.

How many times have you been given the opportunity to talk to someone you did not know, but, because you were too worried about how you would be judged,  you did not talk to that person who could have, ultimately, become one of your friends?

People strive too much to be how everyone else wants them to be, so when we have a possibility to do a nice deed for someone we get too embarrassed and we miss out on the beginning of a great friendship.

Mr. Jared Rawls, English teacher, agreed with people getting easily embarrassed.

“People are often concerned about their own status,” Rawls said. “People are not always willing to do what is right because doing what is right is not always cool.”

Friendships are generally built when one person does a nice deed for another. A simple, “Hi,” or a smile make’s that person feel more comfortable and less intimidated by the fact that they do not know you.

Doing a nice deed for someone is also a great way to make them feel more welcomed to approach you.

Lacey Thrasher, sophomore, said this is true for her.

“I feel more comfortable if the person is nice,” Thrasher said.

Doing nice deeds is a good characteristic for people to have and it often is noticed.

Rawls said, “If you believe in karma, if you do good deeds, then good deeds will come back to you.”