respect + compassion + mutual responsibility
caught in the act-ion
Spring/Summer 2011 Challenge -
Pay It Forward
Based on ideas from the book Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde
The world can seem like an unfriendly, threatening place, yet we all want safety, health, and happiness for ourselves and our loved ones. How can one ordinary person -- you or me -- make a positive difference in this world? One way is to practice "paying it forward." While the steps might be simple, the outcome could change the world.
- Be attentive wherever you are for opportunities to help someone. Perhaps you have an elderly or disabled neighbor who is too proud to ask for help with their yard work or maybe you're in a restaurant and see someone who looks like they could use some kind stranger to pay for their meal. You can change people's attitudes about the world through your unobtrusive acts of kindness.
- Do something nice for someone you don't know. It can be anything, big or small.
- Spread the word. If the person thanks you and wants to "repay" you (that is, pay it "back"), let them know that what you'd really like is for them to pay it "forward" -- you'd like them to do something nice for three people they don't know, and ask those three people to do something nice for three more people. The idea is to consciously increase the goodness of the world.
- Pay it forward. When you notice that somebody has done something nice for you, make a note in your mind to practice three acts of kindness towards other people.
Spring/Summer 2011 Challenge - Pay It Forward
5/11/11 9:32PM
We were sitting in line at a Dunkin Donuts one sunny morning when we decided to "pay it forward" to the people behind us in line. We had no idea who they were, but when we went to the window to pay and pick up our coffee, we told the drive-thru crew member that we wanted to pay for the car behind us. She told us how much their check was and we paid it. We pulled our car up a bit and watched behind us to see what would happen. It was cool to see the driver look at the employee and then look at us and then look at the employee again and then at us and finally wave. We waved back. Hopefully, that person did something nice for someone that day as well.