good intentions gone bad...

08/16/2014

​I wrote a chapter about this topic in my book years ago because I felt it important for people to know if they were thinking of dedicating themselves to the animal rescue world, or any cause. But, it has struck me recently how bad some good intentions really can go...

When most people envision a non-profit charity organization, or group, they probably think of people living very simply in order for the money donated to go to the cause. They probably think of people with good hearts who decide to sacrifice many things in order to make sure their cause receives all of the good things. 

And those people are out there. I have met them and have been honored to learn from them and work beside them. I have also documented many of them in that same book for others to see.

But, what happens when people who start out with all of those good intentions lose their way? When years later they can only concentrate on how many Likes their organization gets on Facebook, or how many times they are mentioned in an article, or how famous their pet becomes? Did they ever really care, or did they enter the charity world for their own ego, even perhaps without ever truly realizing it because ego is all that they have ever known? Is it okay for them to be living in a huge home with a housekeeper, a handyman and someone to come and pick up their dog poop weekly? Is it okay for them to get all of their personal expenses reimbursed in the name of the charity and to take full advantage of that? Is it okay that they have no regards for anyone but themselves and care only for what others can do for them, and never have to be accountable?

When DOES good go bad? 

And does it really matter if they are still helping in some way? 

Perhaps there is no black and white answer, but in my humble experienced opinion, the answer is bad comes when doing good no longer is the first and sole purpose...