What does it mean to pay it forward and how do you go about completing the task? Showing someone acts of kindness without anything in return should be something everyone practices in life. Try and think about a day where someone unexpectedly did something for you. How did it make you feel? What were you going through that day? Just a simple act of kindness could take someones day from bad to good. I recently read a story about a boy who was valedictorian at his high school. He had a lot of friends and was considered to be very popular. He explained the story of how he met his best friend. He went on to share that the day he met his best friend was the day he was planning to kill himself. He had cleaned out his locker and got picked on while walking home from school. His best friend, a stranger at the time, came over to him to help him and let him know the boys picking on him were jerks. It was this random act of kindness that saved his life. You never know the effect you could have on someone by just showing that you care.
I am choosing acts of kindness as my daily spiritual practice because I believe so strong in the power of people. Showing someone that you care is so important, but also gets missed. Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily lives that we forget there are people less fortunate or not as blessed as you. I want to show people I care and hope that they will want to pay it forward as well. Making this a daily routine will really help me remember what is important in life. It is not the things you have or the money you make. It is your brand and what you leave behind. I want to share my love with other people and do my part in making this world a better place. Maybe it's as simple as buying a coffee for someone behind me in line or helping someone in the door if it looks like they are struggling. I feel like if I am consciously thinking of performing a random act of kindness, when the opportunity presents itself I will know.
What's in it for me? The satisfaction in providing a little hope to someones day no matter how small the gesture. It will also help me remember what is important in life. Focusing on how I can help instead of who can help me. It will also help me focus on all the positives in my life and how blessed I truly am. Hopefully, I will start a ripple that will inspire someone else to spread another act of kindness.
