A Challenge to make the World a better Place..

"Pay it Forward" is one of my favorite movies-- and I love the underlying concept. It has been part of my life philosophy for many years... not to sound blasphemous, but I think the world would be a much better place with an "amendment" to add "Thou shalt pay it forward" as an 11th commandment. Yes, I'm just kidding.... but still... It's actually not all that unrealistic... as long as you remain awake and aware of possibilities. After a while, the practice of "conscious kindness" just becomes a part of your life. The place most people run into trouble is in thinking you have to do this "here, right NOW." But there's no "expiration date." And the acts can be very simple. It may just (one that happens a lot for me, because I am very tall) be helping a short person get something from the top shelf of the grocery. Once I gave a complete strange $100 for a hotel room deposit, because they didn't have a credit card to check in, and no cash. I've changed flat tires, and driven people to service stations when they were out of gas. I paid someone's rent, when they were about to get evicted. The possibilties are endless. I have given $1000s of "pro-bono" business consultations to people who really NEEDED them, but couldn't afford to pay for them. Just remember that (a) it ALL counts, even if it seems silly, at the time and (b) have pure intent... you're doing it for THEM, not for YOU. Thanks for this post!

This is something very interesting. Quite alike the anonymous kindness projection I posted a discussion on some time back. For me, I rather "just do it". If I see something that is to be done, just do it - rather than try to apply this "pay it forward" rule which has sort of an implication that you want something in return. :P

There are a lot of little ways to help people. We can always pray for others and give other people a smile. A smile can sometimes brighten someone's day when they are sad. I have been goinbg to a little church down the street. There is a man who goes there who has had a stroke and sits in a wheelchair. I have been bring him books so that he can read. Just showing other people that you care is important.

Hi faith,Yes i have seen the movie,probably about three times now.It is a great movie..It is just a matter of doing for others without any pay..When they ask you "how Much"? you say ,you owe me nothing ,just pay it forward ..go do something for someone else to repay me for what i did for you...I loved that Movie! If the world would "pay it forward' it would be a wonderful place to be..Yes we need to go,help someone and do not expect anything in return..Thats beautiful!

That would be great if everyone would do that. When I help people it helps me. I feel so good when I do something good for someone else.

A bit of time ago I heard about a thing they called The bank of time...it is a place where you enter and say what you can do that you want to share with others...I mean...I am willing to do the shopping for old people for two hours a week or I can teach Italian to strangers on Saturday morning or I can drive you to the doctor on Wednesday from 5 to 7 pm...so people can go there and see if there is someone who could help them for free..I think this could be a great way of volunteering and helping each others..i cannot remember where they did this but I wish a place like this could exist here in Rome...sure I will be there and do something...

I have never heard or seen this movie. I will have to check it out this weekend. It sounds like such a good idea. I am willing to give it a try. Oprah did something a while back which I believe she called pay it forward. She gave member of the audience a thousand dollars. They then had to take that money and do good for others with it. It was amazing what some of the people did with that thousand dollars.

I find myself getting disappointed in people who only complain and never try to make a difference. I have heard people complaining about politicians and yet they dont vote. I hear parents complaining about the teachers who are teaching their kids yet they dont go to parent teachers conferences. I hear people complaining about kids not having enough clothes or food and yet they neither donate their time to organizations that help low income families nor do they donate clothes or food. I on the other hand am a doer. I always went to parent teachers comferences to let my kids know that I was interested in them as well as the teacher. I have never missed an election since I turned 18. I volunteer my time and donate to fire departments, food pantries and thrift stores to help those in need. So many people dont realize that if they dont have money, they can still help by donating their time. If they have money but no time, they can donate their money. There are so many ways to make a difference. Many times you can make a difference by just listening to someone who is having a problem or just giving a hug or a kind touch. We cant save the world but we can make a difference one person at a time. Beginning with ourselves.

I totally agree with you. Our life consists of details, of small things. And if these things are good deeds, even small ones like, as you have exampled, helping your neighbour etc, then there's a hope that our World will really become a better place. I know it might sound as an Utopia, but if each of us try to help at least 3 people daily... All religions speak about love to our near-by. This love I think is attentiveness and help. I think if you just smile to a completely stranger in the street, it may raise his spirits, and this may even be called "love". Do you remember the movie "Bruce Allmighty", where the hero realizes in the end that he should try to do good deeds for others, not for himself only.

I saw that movie when it first came out, and I thought it was awesome. I try to help in whatever small ways that I can, especially when more prominent solutions do not present themselves. Did you ever stop to think how far a single smile or a kind word can go, especially to one who needs it very much.

Helping 3 wouldn't be the problem but would the 3 help a total of 9.we have to try though because there is no harm in doing so.

help other is help yourself. when I was a little boy, the house in my village is made by the people in the village, and they don't ask for money. if you want to have a new house, other person will come to help you. but if you never to help other person, when you want to have a new house, the people will help you is little or any.

Just like the song says:"Make it better place.".This is really nice if it can become truth.It need all the people in the world to do this.People must love each other, No prejudice,No hate and No Discrimination.How can two nations hatred 2000 years to accept each other. It is really hard.

Most of us Americans are generous when it comes to passing a check to charities Like United Way ,Jerry Lewis etc..But that's simply to make ourselves feel good.That's easy and doesn't take a lot of effort.How hard is it to drop a little change into a canister ?I'd say most of those types of charities receive millions of dollars; Hell that doesn't take a lot of time and effort on our part.But what about the local clinics or blood banks their always running dry..Sorry, got to bring my kid to soccer practice I've no time for that.Tell me the last time you went to the grocery store did you happen to notice the cart that was up against your car ? And when your at the local fast food palace did the previous patron leave the table clear of their debris ?I doubt it ! mankind is primarily lazy ,self-centered and inconsiderate . "Pay it Forward" don't think that's going to happen anytime soon . That's just not our nature.

This was how it used to be in the north of england before emmigrating to s.africa. Everyone helped everyone else. And this help came willingly. My aunt spend every friday cleaning 2 houses for the elderly ladies living there. She done it out of the goodness of her heart. She did not expect anything in return. She also cleaned other peoples houses as once off, such as if a baby had been born, or the mother of the house was sick. In a retirement village here a lot of widows do not drive. One of the ladies husbands makes himself available all day for 1 day a week to take them shopping. If we all considered each other and there feelings, the world would be a happier place.

I have encouraged 'random acts of kindness' since I first heard about them. I encourage all of my college classes to try to do one 'random' act per day. My hope is that out of those 60 students, maybe half will actually do a random act. One of my very first posts on myLot was a request for some 'new' ideas that I could do! One of the neatest that was given to me was the next time that I went through a toll booth, pay for the car behind me as well. Isn't that awesome. Imagine the driver when they pull up to the toll booth and the person inside the booth waves them on and says "the car in front of you just paid for you." I can't imagine how that would make them feel! I am anxiously awaiting my next toll road! (and to think I used to dread toll roads!) I take my nursing students to a day-treatment site that is for chronically mentally ill and/or mentally challanged people. While cleaning my bedroom recently, I came across a pair of tennis shoes that I had bought that I just don't wear. I was going to put them in a box in the garage that says, "garage sale." (we add to it all year and have one big sale each Spring.) Instead, I ran them by the site where I take students. I found a case manager and told her to use them as she saw fit. A few days later, I was there with students and one of the client's had those shoes on and was sooooo very proud of them. (She gets 30 dollars a month to 'spend' after her bills are paid and she buys her medicine. It made my day to see the joy on her face.

Someone at Mylot mentioned this as one of their favourite movies. I'd describe this person as a pretty interesting individual and that this movie was special to them surprised me. It's a movie that left me in tears and with a profound sense of doing what's right. I've made a right idiot of myself often by doing good deeds for people. LOL. I actually heard the expression here in my home town just recently. I can't remember the details but it was one of the local yobos, (lazy good for nothing drunks) responding to someone asking him if he had helped someone with his car. The impression being that he must have had an angle. This young bloke puts his head down and mumbles "just paying it forward". I caught his eye and winked and grinned at him but he was self conscious. Fancy him being embarrassed because he had done something good. We have a long way to go Faith.

I have seen that movie, love the song at the end...Calling all angels. I try to do something for strangers...you want to have fun, I have done this when traveling with several cars or just to be nice to someone you don't know...when you come to a toll ...pay extra..for the car in back of you. Around here you can put a smile on someone's face for just a buck. It really is fun.

I have seen that movie, it was sad, but good. I do believe that this world would be a better place if people would do what it showed in the movie, since everyone does not read the bible. I cried at the end of it.

in every city and even in small towns there is usually a hospital or a nursing home...there are elderly people sitting alone,eating alone...crying heartbroken alone and worst of all dying alone...Familes are too busy or too caught up in daily life...oh they have good intentions but we all know the road to hell is paved with them...if you have a half hour a week or more ...you could stop in and chat with some of these people ...they have so much to share...fabulous stories of days gone by...memories of family and world events...hold someones hand as they take their last breath ...wipe away a tear or break the unbearable loniness in someone with a simple hello...can you do it...will you do it...just give a moment in time to someone ...thats my idea... toriaT