Paying It Forward

There is a old saying that it's better to give than to receive.  This is true but sadly often forgotten.  I try to do random acts of kindness but I'll be the first to admit that there is always more to be done.  Always.  All to often people think this has to do with giving money or giving their time but it's not always the case.  Granted if you have the resources to give than that it fabulous but that's not all it's about.  How many times have you personally been having a bad day and the simple gesture from a stranger, comment from a friend or heck just a smile from the person walking by....these change a little bit of your world each and every day.  This is just a short list of ways that you can brighten the day of another and my challenge to you is to start small, maybe go out of your way to do just 1 or 2 of these today.  You don't need to do just the things on this list, add to your own but just do something, anything.  You never know when someone might reach out to you and put an unexpected smile on your face.

• Smile at someone.  Actually make eye contact and give a genuine smile.
• Hold the door
• Shovel your neighbors sidewalk
• Brush the snow off of a coworkers car
• Going to the break room for coffee?  Bring back a cup for the person next to you
• The mom with the crying baby in the grocery store...let her go ahead of you in line
• When walking into a store take that random cart that was left in the middle of the lot with you
• Put a quarter in the meter for someone who has run out of time
• See a car broken down on the side of the road but don't feel safe stopping to help?  Call the police to have them check on the people, make sure everyone is all right...that could be you some day with a dead cell phone.
• Say hello
• Clean out your closet and donate the clothes you never wear
• Instead of going direct to the big box stores, shop local once in a while.  It's worth paying a little more some times to keep those businesses around.
• Bake cookies and drop them off at your local ambulance or fire department.  
• Stop and let that j-walker safely cross the street
• Drop off your old paper and plastic grocery bags at the resale shops
• Support local fundraisers, give a dollar, go to the spaghetti dinner, buy a raffle ticket or just give the loose change in your pocket
• Write a simple note and leave it on a coworkers desk saying something you love about them but don't sign it
• Give a sincere compliment
• When in line at the drive through give the cashier a couple of extra dollars to put on the bill for the person behind you
• Give your leftovers from the restaurant to a homeless person
• Have a coupon that's about to expire and you don't need it....leave it on the shelf with the product or give it to a person in the store that you see buying that product.
• Got a gift card that you don't want to use?  Donate it to the church or mission.  

You get the idea here, just do something nice for others.  You never know when your gesture will help.