Pay It Forward!!
04-15-2010, 05:34 AM
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: New York
Posts: 364
"Pay it Forward" is one of my favorite movies! I try to do at least one random act of kindness each day.Sometimes, it is as simple as holding a door for a person with their hands full or returning a cart in the parking for someone along with my own.
I have rewired my brain to look for little opportunities.
Another little fun thing to do is just smile at everyone you see for one day! It is interesting to see the reactions of others. This made an interesting college paper.
Go rent this movie....You won't regret it!
I have rewired my brain to look for little opportunities.
Another little fun thing to do is just smile at everyone you see for one day! It is interesting to see the reactions of others. This made an interesting college paper.
Go rent this movie....You won't regret it!
04-15-2010, 05:40 AM
#33
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 1,653
Just thought of another one I do. I drive on a very, very busy one lane road on the way home, so people on the side streets always have a hard time turning left because the direction I am going is always packed, even if the other direction is not. As I am driving I specifically look for people waiting to turn and I will stop and let them go. Sometimes I let 5-6 different people go (in different spots along the road) in one drive! I know it may tick off the guy behind me, but I feel like if I do it for one person, they may then go and do it for someone else if they are driving on a busy road.
Rachel
Rachel
04-15-2010, 05:47 AM
#34
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Home town: Rehoboth, MA Now living in OK
Posts: 7,774
Originally Posted by ktbb
I never heard the phrase before I saw a movie a few years ago about a young boy who would help people out or do things for them then, instead of having them pay him back, he'd ask them to "pay it forward" to someone else. There is actually an informal organization of people in our society who encourage this through bumper stickers, etc....random acts of kindness, I think is the phrase they use..It's all about doing things for other without expecting thanks or a good deed in return...you just want to encourage folks to "pay it forward" by doing something good for someone else.
04-15-2010, 06:14 AM
#35
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Daytona Beach
Posts: 133
There are big and small ways to "Pay it Forward."
I try to make conversation with people who work in stores. A small conversation that humanizes the person taking my money may make their day easier and may put a smile on the face of the next person to come through their lane. Easy for me to do.
I make it a practice to let people go before me if they're trying to get out on a busy road. A small courtesy they may pass on.
I always say thank you when someone does something nice for me, perhaps holding a door open for me. That thank you can be encouraging so they continue to do nice things for others.
My large "Pay it forward" is raising and training service dog puppies. My Rocco is ready to leave me and go to his forever home as a companion to a young man who is pretty much homebound due to cerebral palsy. Rocco will learn to bond with him like he does with me and want to be right there, touching him if possible. I'll cry when he leaves because I love him, but this young man needs him, and I just want him. And I'll eventually raise another puppy for someone else. It will be a good life for Rocco because he'll have a person focused on him, someone worthy of his unconditional love.
I try to make conversation with people who work in stores. A small conversation that humanizes the person taking my money may make their day easier and may put a smile on the face of the next person to come through their lane. Easy for me to do.
I make it a practice to let people go before me if they're trying to get out on a busy road. A small courtesy they may pass on.
I always say thank you when someone does something nice for me, perhaps holding a door open for me. That thank you can be encouraging so they continue to do nice things for others.
My large "Pay it forward" is raising and training service dog puppies. My Rocco is ready to leave me and go to his forever home as a companion to a young man who is pretty much homebound due to cerebral palsy. Rocco will learn to bond with him like he does with me and want to be right there, touching him if possible. I'll cry when he leaves because I love him, but this young man needs him, and I just want him. And I'll eventually raise another puppy for someone else. It will be a good life for Rocco because he'll have a person focused on him, someone worthy of his unconditional love.
04-15-2010, 06:28 AM
#36
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: L'Anse, Michigan
Posts: 128
I MAKE CROCHETED DOILIES AND SEND THEM TO PEOPLE IN OUR TOWN WITH A NOTE WISHING THEM A GOOD DAY AND ASKING GOD TO BLESS THEM. PEOPLE ARE VERY SURPRISED THAT I WOULD THINK OF THEM AS THEY ARE NOT CLOSE FRIENDS OF MINE, JUST PEOPLE I PICK AT RANDOM TO TOUCH THEIR LIVES IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
04-15-2010, 06:37 AM
#37
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Iowa
Posts: 879
One year, I paid a friend to make those crocheted doilies that have someone's name in them... Like "SMITH" in crocheted thread. I asked for 2, but for some reason the wires got crossed and she made three. I didn't know anyone else that had that last name (except the people I had ordered them for), so I randomly choose someone from the phone book with the same last name and mailed it to them with a note, that it was an extra and Merry Christmas. I didn't put my name or return address on it. But I would have loved to have seen their faces when they opened it.
04-15-2010, 07:01 AM
#38
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Idaho
Posts: 6,442
Others have been so kind to me during my lifetime....too many ways to mention all of them.
We've done it several times, but the one that stands out most in my mind is when we went to a local dinner that advertises that kids under 12 eat for free with an adult meal purchase. I'm one of those crotchety old women that groans when we go to restaurants and they seat people with children next to me. Seems that most people these days think it's cute when their children run wild and are smart mouthed and loud. So I groaned when they seated a woman and her three girls at the table next to us. To my surprise, they were awesome! The woman helped her children color the placemats...talked quietly with them. We couldn't help but to over hear the oldest girl say, "This is fun Mommy! Can we do it again next week?" and the mom quietly replied, "No honey, I'm sorry...this is a special treat, and we won't be able to do it again for quite awhile". The little girl accepted that with no comment...and William and I just looked at each other...he raised an eyebrow, and I nodded. When we finished our meal and went to pay, he paid their tab at the same time, and added a piece of pie for each of them.
I guess in a way, it was paying her back for doing such a good job of raising her children and doing her best to make them respect the others that were close by. :) We left the place before mom knew we had done it.
We've done it several times, but the one that stands out most in my mind is when we went to a local dinner that advertises that kids under 12 eat for free with an adult meal purchase. I'm one of those crotchety old women that groans when we go to restaurants and they seat people with children next to me. Seems that most people these days think it's cute when their children run wild and are smart mouthed and loud. So I groaned when they seated a woman and her three girls at the table next to us. To my surprise, they were awesome! The woman helped her children color the placemats...talked quietly with them. We couldn't help but to over hear the oldest girl say, "This is fun Mommy! Can we do it again next week?" and the mom quietly replied, "No honey, I'm sorry...this is a special treat, and we won't be able to do it again for quite awhile". The little girl accepted that with no comment...and William and I just looked at each other...he raised an eyebrow, and I nodded. When we finished our meal and went to pay, he paid their tab at the same time, and added a piece of pie for each of them.
I guess in a way, it was paying her back for doing such a good job of raising her children and doing her best to make them respect the others that were close by. :) We left the place before mom knew we had done it.
04-15-2010, 08:25 AM
#40
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Our Little Green Acres in NorCal
Posts: 1,268
Imagine how sweet the world would be if we were all recipients of Random Acts of Kindness. Another thought I've had over and over: When you are driving in your car use your blinker, it can be contagious (remember I live in SoCal ! ;-)
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