There's an awful amount of scepticism surrounding the idea of paying it forward. I guess I too would be sceptical if I didn't know for a fact that there are people out there willing to treat others as they wish to be treated.
For those who have not seen the movie or hear of the notion here's the brief... If someone is kind enough to do you a favour, no matter how small or how big, you must pass that kindness onto the next person and they in turn do the same thing. Sounds idealistic doesn't it? Sounds like a rose tinted world that doesn't exist?
I'm here to tell you different. On the contrary, it can be a way of life that opens up a whole new mentality, a new thought process, a new line of conscious thinking. If we all did one small thing every day for someone else life would be so much easier and a much better way to live.
A friend of mine writes blogs too and he commented that much of the time people are out for themselves and do not stop to think of others. He's a very gifted writer so you should visit his blog at www.woahrandom.com. He sees the world from a different angle much like me, probably due to his height "hey, how tall are you buddy?" "wow, you must be good at basketball.." (sorry Ev ;o), couldn't resist) and I think much of his insight is due to being different in a weird and wonderful world such as this.
I think that people have the capacity for a great deal of good but they get too caught up in the little things to pay any attention to well, the little things. You don't have to make grand gestures to show that you care about people. You don't have to tell the world that you did something good today. You just need to SHOW up and play your part in the woven tapestries of life.
Make yourself care, go the extra mile. Yeah, so you get hurt of fucked over once in a while but it beats the alternative. A life of selfishness and being so alone internally that you just keep dismantling the very nature of why you were put here in the first place. Being selfless can be a real pain in the ass but at least it doesn't make you a hypocrite. At least you do what you set out to do. Whether you get praised for it or not is not the reason you should be doing these things.
I've had the pleasure of being fucked over royally several times in different situations. Money, work, friendship, and every time I've been knocked down I've always remembered a really good phrase that keeps me focused and determined. "It's not that we fell or how we fell that's important, It's how we pick ourselves up that defines us".
The world can be a tireless place of hatred and anarchy from every angle so if even a few people decided to adopt this nature, it might encourage others to do the same. And the flow of Pay It Forward would continue.
Being empathetic with people's emotions and feelings makes this system ideal for me as I'm acutely aware that I'm not the only one who is suffering at any given time in this world. It makes what I do matter more to me as I would expect the same back. Do I always get it? No. But I have the hopes and dreams of a thousand people which means I simply can't stop trying because it's "too hard" or "no-one cares".
Am I a saint?? Not to any stretch of the imagination. I've done some very irreverent things that I'm totally not proud of but I learnt from them and decided to change the way in which I went about things. If only the politicians of the world could do the same. To change the world, we have to change our perception of it. So instead of thinking that all people are arseholes and wankers, I decided to give everyone a break and not judge. I've never been too judgemental on anyone. I can't afford to be given that I'm by no means perfect.
My mission statement in life is to empathise with people, treat everyone I come into contact with equally and to treat people with the respect they deserve. Does that make me an idiot? Perhaps, but I'm an idiot who knows what's going on in the world. Do I care what people think of my intentions? Not a bit because in the end I know where I'm from, the journey I've taken and am still traversing, and I know who I am. I'm happy with who I am whether someone decides to judge me or not. Like me, hate me or judge me but when the shit hits the fan you can call on me for help.
Life's not about the petty he said/she said scenarios. If you aline yourself with all that shit you miss out on what's really important and what counts.
When life feels like it's treading on you (it happens to me too) remember the amazing scope of possibilities that invariably come your way throughout your life. Remember the amazing times you've had and the ones yet to pass and the small idiocies of life feel incredibly small. The world is a big place, the universe even bigger and it doesn't seem too much to me to pay it forward to someone who might need a leg up.
A kind word can go a long way, as can a smile, a joke, an embrace. In the end it's all about connection. Everything is connected and simultaneously living and breathing. Maybe not always in harmony but we can hope. If the hopes are many, the prayers can be answered as a good hope for the future can evolve into actuality.
So my question to you is what you're going to do with your time here?? How can you impact a life? Two lives? Three? Just simply pay it forward people. Give a shit and you will feel an immense satisfaction in doing so, I promise. I'll keep paying it forward, you do the same.......
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