I looked for videos about paying it forward. Most of them were about paying money for someone's meal, coffee, purchase, etc. But most of us don't have much money to spare these days and we may beleive we can't participate in paying it forward.
But we'd be wrong. Paying it forward simply means doing a random act of kindness. And there are so many ways to do that. It just takes being aware of other people and what they might need at any given moment.
For instance, I was headed for my car from the grocery store and someone came over and offered to lift my bags into my trunk. I was grateful.
That's all it takes. I've had shoppers help me when I shop in the grocery store by reaching for things that are high up and hard to reach. I've had people help me find something on my list that I couldn't find. Simple.
Sometimes it is a simple as letting another driver into your lane in front of you. Or even something no one may even think of as an act of kindness. Sometimes I go to a store where the carts are returned in a haphazard fashion. I just take a minute or two to put them in neatly so the next shopper doesn't have to fight for a cart.
Or maybe you just smile and say hello to someone you may not know but looks kind of down. Or offer to share an umbrella with someone who hasn't one. Or you say "Thank you" to someone who seldom gets thanked.
Many folks say, why bother? The answer is that we each have the capacity to make the world better, one act of kindness at a time. Isn't that an important reason to take the time and thought to pay it forward?
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