This happened only recently. I went to a supermarket near my neighbourhood and that was my first visit. Little did I know, they were still using the system where customers had to insert coins to unlock a trolley, all neatly lined up and chained.

Being part of the cashless society, I had no coins on me. Sceptically, I rummaged through my bag, hoping to find a 50-sen coin. A man returning his trolley, unexpectedly, caught my eye.

Without a word, he pushed it towards me and gestured for me to take it. I called out to him a few times, insisting I could wire the 50 cents to his account, but he simply raised his right hand, smiling in refusal.

Kindness isn’t a transaction

I know many have experienced moments like this. Be it queueing at a supermarket, short on cash but the counter demands cash-only payment much like a recent viral TikTok video where a lady stepped in to pay for a couple, or simply pressing an elevator button for a stranger.

These small acts of kindness are rarely motivated by profit. Yet sometimes, we fall into the trap of expecting our kindness to be matched in return.

The beauty of genuine kindness is that it stands on its own, even when it goes unnoticed, unreturned, or unspoken.

We do good not because the world is watching nor for the recognition, but because our principles are.

Kindness is not a transaction. Too often, we measure kindness by the same acts we receive, the smiles we get, or the help that comes back to us later.

But true kindness is never a trade nor can it be converted into a currency to be exchanged. Regrettably, the moment we start viewing kindness as a transaction, we open the door to disappointment, because not everyone will repay it in the way we imagine.

Compassion knows no boundaries

There is no limit to being kind and doing good. Being good to others is not only intended for humans, but it should also be extended to all living beings, plants and animals are no exception.

What good is a person’s kindness to humans if they turn around and mistreat an animal?

A sincere heart is not selective. Therefore, it surpasses differences in race, religion, status, and background.

A genuine act of kindness does not stop to ask where a person comes from, what they believe in, or whether you can return the favour, instead it is a natural response to our shared humanity.

In a world that often builds walls, kindness builds bridges, proving that empathy has no passport and gentleness speaks a language everyone understands.

Goodness leaves marks

We are designed by default to be kind and do good. But if we do the opposite, it violates our soul.

Thus, we can actually feel unsettled every time we say hurtful words, or commit mindless acts against others. A simple helping hand, a word of encouragement, or a moment of understanding can linger in someone’s memory for years.

These marks may not always be visible, yet they influence attitudes, inspire change, and soften hearts in ways we might never witness.

Even when we move on with our lives, the ripple of our kindness continues, touching others indirectly and reminding them that compassion still exists.

Such traces become part of someone’s story, and perhaps their reason to be kind to someone else.

Be the light others follow

The world might be black, but our hearts should be full of light. Choosing goodness in a broken world is not weakness, it is courage. It is choosing light, even when darkness draws more attention.

In addition, being kind is nothing short of a mirror of who we are and who we aspire to become.

Doing good, without you noticing its reach, might be exemplary, at least to our children or the future generation.

We do not act kindly because someone else deserves it, but we do so because we choose to be better. Frankly, planting seeds takes time.

Some grow now. Some decades later and some, perhaps, in the hereafter. Be the reason someone smiles and shows up today.

Conclusion

We do good because goodness shapes the person we are becoming. When your efforts go unnoticed, do it anyway.

When your kindness gets misunderstood, do it anyway. When you're tired, drained, and underappreciated, do it anyway. Even when it’s thankless, do good anyway.

Just so you know, the trolley incident? I paid it forward.

-- BERNAMA

Hawa Syamsina Md Supie is a lecturer at the Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Pasir Gudang Campus.