Pay It Forward
Pay it forward…Random acts of kindness…Oprah’s Big Give…
It’s a movie, a TV show, a video on You Tube, and more importantly a grassroots movement. For myself and many others it’s a life style.
Pay It Forward, the movie about a school boy that believed in the goodness of human nature and the possibility that one person can change the world. His plan to make a good difference in people’s lives created a ripple effect of good intentions.
Oprah’s Big Give, the TV show, takes the concept to a new awareness. A handful of compassionate contestants interrupt their own lives to find creative ways to change the lives of many people across the country. Some are financial gifts, many are expanding the reach of organizations that assist and Pay It Forward on a daily basis.
On You Tube, one of the most frequently viewed videos was of the chain of Starbucks drive thru customers that paid for the drinks of the people in line behind them. For over an hour, and 100 cars, the generosity continued. It’s happened in toll booth lines.
Paying It Forward can be anytime, anywhere and for anyone. It doesn’t always take money, sometimes it’s a hand up, not a hand out. It’s taking those angel cards at Christmas and attaching a gift for someone you’ll never know. It’s taking simple household items to a center for disaster victims. It’s spending time with a lonely elderly person, just listening and learning. It’s taking clothing to a homeless shelter, or children’s books to an orphanage.
You don’t have to be a celebrity or expect recognition to make a difference. Don’t expect payback, and sometimes you won’t even get a thank you. Just know in your heart that you’ve made a difference. Be the "pebble in the pond" that creates a ripple effect of good intentions.
Pay it forward.