“Pay It Forward”
“Work hard and always try to do your best, more important then even that is just try to be a good person, you know, being kind to everyone around you…people remember how you make them feel more so then what you do and just try to make sure that who you are is even better then what you do, you know, don’t let what you do or your talent be the best thing about you. Let who you are as a person be the best thing and I think that will always leave you a happier person no matter what.”
Quote source: FTS Kids News #183- An Interview with Actor Chosen Jacobs (FTSKIDSNEWS) (Youtube published date 5/6/20)
Stock photo: collider.fandom.com
How many times have we heard the Maya Angelou quote “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”? I have always appreciated a good movie and one movie that’s message has stuck with me over the years is “Pay It Forward”. One day in the cafeteria at work, I was led to pay for the meal of the woman behind me, just because. I didn’t know her at all, and had never seen her before. I just wanted to do something nice. That turned into her paying for the next person’s meal and then that person paying for the next and so forth. Talk about a trickle effect. As I walked away after I paid and saw the very small impact that I had on those few people, it made my heart so glad. I thought, “Wow, being nice is so contagious. What else can I do to keep this going?” After talking to my supervisor, I decided to start a random acts of kindness initiative. I was reminded that day that although being kind to someone else makes that person feel good, it also makes you feel good as well. It’s like a win-win situation.
It is so very important to be a good person and be nice. We never know what someone is going through and just being kind to them can literally change the trajectory of their life. We hear the stories often of people going through a really rough time and then someone else reaching out to them with a kind word or act that makes them look at life differently and ultimately gives them rejuvenated hope and courage to continue with a new perspective of life. Being kind is important as well because it is a good character trait and having good character is important because it promotes not only good morale with others, but it also inspires others to do the same which creates a greater, better world in general. There is so much evil and bad in the world that a little kindness can go a long way in cultivating a better society.
So what does being a good person actually mean? Well, being a good person and being kind goes hand in hand. Practically speaking, it means that we put the needs of others above ours (in a healthy manner) it means that we are not selfish, that we are honest and complimentary, that we make the best out of every situation and lastly that we are good and kind to those who may not be kind or good to us. It doesn’t take much, it could be as simple as a smile, and although these are only a few examples, there are so many others and the best aspect is that being a good person and being kind is absolutely free. When we are good people, it gives us peace of mind and a positive disposition. It elevates stress and help us live a balanced and more fulfilling life.
At the end of the day, there’s no telling what an act of kindness towards someone can do and there’s no telling how much of an impact that being a good person just because it’s the right thing to do can have. Aauts hor and professor Leo Buscaglia once said, “too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring , all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” Let’s all strive to be more conscious of the ways we can all be more kind to one another.