Karma Generator

A middle-aged man struggled to slide the heavy door open and behind him a line of people were piling up, waiting to get onto the train. He hauled the door open and stepped through, passing the job of holding the door onto the person behind him: a young lady chatting on her phone. The young lady passed the job onto an elderly man, who passed it onto a middle-aged woman, who passed it onto a young man.

The train door was designed to close itself, but if pushed just a little further the door would catch on a latch and stay open. All of the people getting on the train were regular commuters and I was certain they knew how the door worked, so I was puzzled that nobody put in the extra effort.

That's when I saw a young man in his late twenties come through the door. Instead of holding it for the person behind him, he pushed the door just a little further and propped it open.

As dozens of people walked in, I realized that although they were all oblivious to what the young man had done, his extra effort was still having an affect on each and every one of them. It was the gift that kept on giving, a generator for good karma.

When you lend a helping hand, aim to do more than hold the door: prop it open. When you do your work or create your art, do more than enough. Those who follow may not notice your extra effort, but like a magic pot of gold that keeps on giving, the fruits of your labor will be magnified by each person that your work empowers.