If we stop and think, there are many people in our lives that show kindness. Now it might not be the kindness that is gifting you a brand new car and a free vacation to Tokyo, but the kindness that can easily be overlooked if we aren’t paying attention.
Let’s try this activity:
1- Your challenge right now is to create a quick list. Write it down. Type it on your laptop. Thumb it into your smartphone notes; whichever is easiest! Make a quick list of five people that have shown you kindness in the last couple of days.
2- Signify what the act of kindness was. Was it a smile? A phone call? A quick message? Help with homework? A friendly teacher? A picture from a friend? A picture with a stranger at the coffee shop? Write down those acts of kindness!
3- Once you have your list of 5 people and the kindness they exhibited, here is the fun part! Challenge yourself today to be a person that would show up on someone else’s list of kind people. The five people you wrote down have already given you ideas on how to do that. Paying-it-forward is all about taking that kindness from one person and sharing it with the next!
4- If you have time, discuss with others what simple things you could do today in order to pay-it-forward and show someone else kindness today.
By writing down the positive people in your life and documenting WHAT makes them positive, you are creating a “Pay It Forward Cookbook”! When you are in the mood to make someone’s day or create positive ripples in the world, refer back to this list and find your “Pay It Forward Cookbook” for kindness. Growing and evolving is all about learning from others, taking the positive traits of others, and paying it forward to those in YOUR life! As a reminder, these pay it forward acts of kindness don’t need a budget; all they need is sincere intention to do good!
