This week was full of excitement, insight and great inspiration for my blog. On Thursday it was "Pay It Forward" day. Some know what this day represents and some don't. The easiest reference to this day would be the movie Pay It Forward starring Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment.
The basis of the movie is a kid, Osment, is assigned a project on a way you can help change the world. He comes up with a concept of paying it forward to others. One does a good deed for another individual and in return that individual needs to keep it going by paying it forward to another. If you've never seen the movie you should because it is a great movie with a powerful message.
So Thursday was the day of paying it forward and I was wondering what I wanted to do in recognition of this day. Of course my mind starts jumping to grand ideas that I could do or things that I would do if I had unlimited funds. But then I reminded myself of the great quote said and written many different ways "No act of kindness is ever too small".
I decided to do something nice for my awesome co-workers Misty and Deliah. These ladies are incredible and when work gets crazy busy we all maintain each others sanity. Let me remind you that we work with children so sanity is something that can quickly go out the window. I gave them a card and their favorite treats and simply said thank you for all that they do and all that they are.
Then I got to thinking about this concept of paying it forward and how we as humans are leaving our mark in our life and others. I think that paying it forward should be apart of our everyday lives and be practiced EVERY day and not just one day out of the year. Can you imagine what our world would be like if we did one nice thing for a person every day? And not just stopping at that but if that one person kept it going by doing something nice for one other person. It would be a constant ripple effect of kindness and love, which I think our world needs a lot more of. But huge changes in the world starts with huge changes in people and our actions. Which brings me to how we are leaving our mark.
We get one chance at life. That's it. No do overs, oh let me try again's or in essence no regrets because it can't be changed so there's no point in dwelling upon it.
How do you leave a mark?
It could be ANYTHING. The point is to just do SOMETHING. Whether it be an act of kindness like appreciating a co-worker. Or picking up the tab in the drive thru for the person sitting behind you. I think the most important thing about "leaving a mark" is simply just going out there and doing it. I think everyone sometimes thinks about nice things we can do but rarely do we act on it.
The more of a mark you leave in someone's life is the more of a mark that will in return be placed in your life. Happiness, prosperity and love is meant to be shared not contained or confined to one specific person. In my opinion what's the point of me being successful and happy if I can't share that amongst others and try to bring the same things to them?
The truth is we get wrapped in our own lives so we often forget about others or how we can leave a powerful mark. For example. One time I took my car into the shop to get my cruise control fixed. My car was in the shop for a week, it was stressful on how I making it to work everyday and I was just plain ol' ready to have my car back. I picked up the car and guess what? I drove it off the lot and the cruise control still did not work. I went back, irritated now, and told the teller that it is still broken and I don't have time to put it back in the shop for another week to get it fixed. I left SO mad and irritated and was thinking thoughts that were not taking me "to my happy place".
Then I thought to myself. Wow, I'm upset about my full functioning, almost brand new car, that never gives me trouble or breaks down. And I'm all upset about cruise control? Which is really a luxury to my foot that on occasion becomes tired on long drives generally when I'm going on a great getaway or vacation with people I love. I then thought I needed to get unwrapped in my life and do something for someone else. Someone who probably has a REAL issue besides my cruise control.
I bought lunch for three homeless people and the second I handed over the food, and saw how extremely grateful they were I was immediately humbled. I was reminded, which I am everyday, how extremely blessed, fortunate and prosperous I am. But it took that instance of irritation to remove myself from my world to go help someone else. So sometimes those "wrapped up" moments are necessary.
Go out this week and leave your mark. ANY mark of kindness and goodness in your life and in others. Be grateful, give generously and always pay it forward. I promise you, you will never regret giving and it will take you to places you have never been before.
I would love to hear how you leave your mark this week or any week so please leave comments.
Have a great week!
~Ava
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.Theodore Roosevelt
