Living Simply: Pay It Forward

It's been a while since I blogged about this topic, and today is a wonderful time to bring it up again. The concept is to Pay It Forward. If you haven't heard of it before, here's the foundation of it:

Do something nice for someone else, not for someone who did something nice for you, and tell them to do something nice to "pay it forward" as well (instead of repaying you for your kindness). 

If possible: do it for someone who you know could never repay you anyway.

So what does that look like? First let me explain the last part. Maybe you need to forgive someone who can't repay you, for example, forgiving a parent for a bad childhood. It's too late for them to re-do it all over again, they're powerless to change the past, but you let them know that all is forgiven. This works with an ex-partner, estranged child or sibling, old bosses, neighbors, etc.

The beauty of it is that you do something nice for 3 people, then they do the same, then they do the same, and it could make a difference in your family, workplace, neighborhood, or community. Spreading help, joy, and love - what's better than that? Now what is something positive you can do for someone so they can do something nice for others? Here's a few ideas:

• Call someone you know needs a friend right now
• Help someone who you pass that's homeless - it could be money, food, bottled water, etc.
• Write a note, email, or even text to someone letting them know you appreciate them
• Pick an event or charity where you can do a one-day volunteer opportunity
• Compliment someone (it must be sincere), maybe someone overlooked, like a janitor.
• Pray for someone you know is struggling
• Donate to a food bank or a shelter, especially if you find a Buy One Get One Free sale
• Do a task for a friend/family member like doing laundry, washing their car, etc.
• Bring a meal to someone who's going through a rough time, or is sick, or too busy to cook
• Volunteer to babysit for a single parent who needs some alone time 
• Babysit for a couple so they can have a much-needed date night
• Pay for coffee for the customer behind you in line or in a drive-through
• Give someone a ride when they don't have a working car
• Donate blood with your local Red Cross organization
• Recycle your stuff - donate toys to a school or church, give magazines to a nursing home, etc.
• Invite someone over for dinner - even if you just serve pizza or take-out.
• Hold the door open for the person behind you
• Smile at someone who looks like they're having a rough day, be nice
• Bake treats for a neighbor, friend, or loved one

The list is endless, be creative, and be kind to others. Have a great weekend.