Pay it Forward

Many of you have probably seen the movie “Pay it Forward” so you may be able to guess what this post is about. For those of you that have not seen this, I recommend it. Not because of the life changing message it may have or the feel good feeling you may have, but for the message of purposeful living.

For those of you who have seen the movie remember the scene where the kid is sitting in the class and the teacher gave an assignment to devise and put into action a plan that would change the world for the better. He states “the realm of possibilities lives in each of you”. (I love this line).Some of the kids went the science way and did recycling projects or a lemonade stand to raise money for a shelter, but one kid (Trevor McKinney in the movie) devised an idea that if he did something good for 3 people and they were told to pay his kindness forward, he could change the world. His idea was that you ask for nothing in return of a gift you give; rather ask that the recipient of the gift give something to a different person in need.

So let’s do the math to see what happens. Three people asked to pay it forward to 3 other people equals 9 people. Nine people asked to pay it forward to 3 other people would add to 27, 27 paying it forward to 3 people is 81, 81 times 3 is 243, 243 x 729 people…you get the picture. By doing one positive purposeful living task this kid changed 100s of 1000s of lives. One kid, one idea, one action.

Now I know we don’t live in the movies, especially because sometimes there are few connections between the movies and reality, but I think this may be one movie we can learn from.

Let’s take the example of the woman who emailed about her purposeful living journey the past year and a half. How many people do you think she has impacted by changing her life, her career, her values, her attitude, her satisfaction? Three, nine, 27, 81, or more? How many people did she help along the way through nursing school? How many people will benefit from her talents and compassion in the future? How many family members are looking at her as a model of purposeful living and taking their next step?

For every act you do, for every statement you make, for every thought you have—are they grounded in your values? Are they positive and purposeful? Live for one day completely aware of your actions, thoughts and deeds. One day and ask yourself – am I living a positive and purposeful life? Am I ‘paying it forward’.

“In the order of nature we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody.” Ralph Waldo Emerson