Pay It Forward Thursday

Tomorrow is Thursday. Let's make it Pay It Forward Thursday. Let's do at least one random act of kindness tomorrow.

Why Thursday? Well, why not? You might choose a different day, of course. But it helps to have a specific day to remind you to look for opportunities to pay it forward.

"But, wait," you say. "No one has done anything for me to pass it forward." That is hard to believe. There are so many ways to be kind that there must have been some kindness this week. The key is to be aware. Look for it. Be aware of when someone is kind and be aware of ways you can be kind.

Awareness is a tricky thing. We get focused on work, or a game, or a hobby, or whatever, to the  exclusion of whatever else is going on. When we do that we lose sight of the interactions with people around us.

Or, you are so focused on the negative that you don't see the positive. These days it is easy to look at and for the negative behaviors of others. Turn that off. Look for something positive in what goes on around us.

Avoid labeling people and look for the positive in each one. When people become labels they become things. My grandmother always said that there is something positive in everyone and everything. She was a true silver lining person.

Once we had packed the car with her suitcase for a trip we were taking the next day. But the car had to be serviced. While it was in the mechanic's garage, someone stole her suitcase out of the trunk. Her response was, "Maybe they need those clothes  more than me." She wasn't even angry about it.

So, if you can't find any kindness you've experienced, start the kindness chain yourself! Being kind and thoughtful to someone starts a ripple effect. Make waves. Pay it forward. Make it a habit. Find a way to be kind to someone tomorrow!