Pay It Forward
I work at Wal-Mart and none of us make a lot of money. Lately there has been a lot of theft of lunches and sodas out of the refrigerators in our break room. It is sad because most of the people there would get a buck and change together for a double cheese burger (there’s a McDonalds in the store) if we knew someone was hungry and didn’t have money. None of us are rich…..we all work for Wal-Mart!
I heard yet another story of someones food being stolen. The lady was at her locker when I was getting my stuff to leave. I tried to make her smile with a joke about getting a safe for her lunch. Then I saw she was crying. She talked a little bit about how she felt about her food being stolen. I asked her if she had more money for dinner. She didn’t have any more to buy dinner. She spent her last $6 dollars and did her best to buy enough to last two days. I went ahead and bought her replacements for what was stolen. (earlier in the day, she had a soda stolen). It was so sad to see this lady be so affected by the theft. She was so angry and really hurt that someone would do that. Here she is doing her best for herself and her children with a husband who is deployed and her fellow co-worker steals her food from her.
A couple days ago, I had the opportunity to do something good for someone and I did it. I know when she talks about or remembers when a fellow associate stole from her, she will also remember that someone who barely knew her, did something good for her. She will be reminded the world isn’t just full of people who steal, there are people who are care and who give. It felt REALLY good to help keep the balance, to be a representative of the good in the world for that brief moment.
I told her she owes me nothing, she doesn’t have to pay me back. I just asked her when she has a few extra bucks, and sees someone in need, that she help that person out and “pay it forward” instead of paying it back. If we all passed on the goodness we received instead of keeping it isolated between ourselves and who ever did kindness to us, kindness and goodness would would grow like a wild fire.
It may be a fellow internet entrepreneur that helped you out or your neighbor, but look for opportunities to pay it forward. Remember when you do, that you ask the person to pay if forward.