Pay it Forward

I hadn't heard of the phrase "pay it forward" until a few years ago, and I guess it didn't sink in at the time what a special idea it was. Simply put, it means that you do a favor for someone and all you ask in return is that they pass it on and do a favor for someone else. It's so simple and what a difference you might be making.

Here are a few simple ideas of how this works. You're in Starbucks getting your morning fix, and decide it would be nice to buy a latte for the young man just behind you in line. So you get yours, and pay for his at the same time. When it's his turn, he is told his drink has already been paid for, by a perfect stranger who wanted nothing in return except for him to do a nice deed for someone else. If that ever happened to me I would be shocked, but in a good way. Hopefully he will go off to work and do something nice for someone else, and so on. Or how about buying some gas for a perfect stranger? Can you imagine how you'd feel if someone did that for you? It would make me want to go out and do something for someone else.

Tyra Banks had a great idea on her show. She wanted to get people involved in doing good for others. She started the Tyra Pays it Forward Initiative. You do a good deed for someone, then take the card that indicates how many good deeds have been done, punch it, and pass it on to the next person. That continues until the card is filled up. Great idea, Tyra, and a great way to get people involved.

Help a mother with a stroller cross the street, or help her put her groceries in her car. She in turn will pass on this favor and do something nice for someone else. There are lots of nice people out there that do kind things everyday, but the idea of passing it on means that everyone who gets helped will in turn, help someone else.

The nice things we can do for strangers do not have include giving them money. Helping an old lady across the street, helping a boy find a lost dog, buying a sandwich for a homeless man are all paying it forward. Hopefully they will each go find another stranger to help. What a wonderful world this would be if we could all pay it forward. There are movies, foundations and websites about this concept, so many people must think it has value. I have always felt that doing something, without expecting anything in return was what giving of yourself was all about. But if the recipient of your gift gives something to another, and it continues to get passed forward, thousands and maybe millions of people would benefit from one act of kindness. Wouldn't that be wonderful?