When No One Else Knows

This is one of my favorite litmus tests to reveal internal motivations.

Am I willing to donate to a cause if it happens anonymously or do I need to be acknowledged publicly?

Do I contribute ideas to a project if I know someone else will get the accolades?

Can I pick up and throw away someone else’s trash if no one sees me do it?

There’s nothing wrong with receiving credit, of course. But when public recognition is the deciding factor for performing a good deed, then I have to wonder whether ego is holding me back.

Because even if no one knows I made something better, I know.