The Hardest Challenge Of All?

If a tree falls in the wood, with no one to hear it, does it make a sound?

That is to say, if no one experiences, or observes the sound, are we certain that it happened?

The question is an old philosophical one, with connections to concepts of perception that we see in particle physics, conjuring up wonderful discussions and rabbit-holes for those who wish to chase them.

For today, I want to use something similar to pose a challenge to you.

Can you, over the next week, help someone each day?

It can be a person you know, or it can be a stranger. It can be a small thing, a small act of kindness, or a big thing. It can be a moment, or a commitment. You can do it with their knowledge, or you can help someone in such a way, that they don’t know you helped them at all (this is the hardest level of the challenge).

Anything at all, for anyone – once a day, for a week.

Help someone, with something, once a day, for a week. It can be the same someone, or different people.

But you can’t tell anyone about it.

Do a good deed. Say nothing.

Don’t tell a friend, your partner, your colleague. If there is a person who you helped without their knowledge, you can’t tell them, or anyone else that you did it.

See how it feels. Many, many people struggle with this. The casual mention of a good deed, or the announcement of a deed is, for many, an important part of the process. It feels very strange to tell no one. By no one, I mean, no one. Not only for the week of helping, but forever. Whatever help you gave, you never mention it, ever again, to anyone.

If they thank you, you can acknowledge it, but then that’s it.

That’s the challenge.

Let me know how you go. Don’t let me know what you did, but let me know if you could do it. Let me know how it felt, and what you thought when you did it. Remember, the week of help, is locked away, if you talk about your deeds after the week, you’ve still lost the challenge, and I’d love to know if you do.

Good luck.

- Josh

Originally published: https://www.joshreidjones.com/blog/the-hardest-challenge-of-all