pay it forward

I woke up this morning thinking about paying it forward and I found this image that speaks of the interconnection between all people.

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I used to think that paying it forward was somehow about money. You hear of people who randomly buy someone's dinner in a restaurant or pay off their layaway bill at Christmas, and while these are wonderful acts of paying it forward, I know that I don't have the financial means to do this. 

So I started wondering about how I can and do pay it forward. 

Sometimes it is about the sharing of knowledge, freely given without any strings attached. 

Other sellers on Etsy will often ask me about an item I have sold. How much did I sell it for? What kind of information can I give them about the item? I always respond to these questions and give them as much information as I can. I know that I have in turn asked other sellers and sometimes, they don't respond. I always wonder why. Yes, I know that we live in a competitive world, but do they see the sharing of knowledge as a bad thing. 

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For me, knowledge is something that should be freely shared. So this is one way that I pay it forward. 

Paying it forward can also be as simple as smiling at a stranger or saying a kind word. 

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Smiling is contagious and I know that is not only makes me feel better, but it can also make someone else's day a little better. Have you ever had a day where you were the biggest grump ever? I certainly have had my share. Then some random stranger will come along and smile at me and suddenly my day is transformed. Did all the reasons I had for being a big grump disappear? No, but suddenly they don't seem so important.

When I was a counselor, I was labelled a feminist counselor in a cognitive framework. What does that mean? Well, contrary to what most people think feminism is, it is about valuing everyone as individuals and the cognitive part is about changing how we think about things. So when I am paying it forward, I like to think that I am valuing that other person and that maybe through sharing a bit of love for them, it will change their perspective. 

So each day I will try to continue to find ways to pay it forward. Maybe you have some ideas that you can share with us on ways that you pay it forward. I would love to hear them.

On an added note, today is special for me. It is the day that my youngest daughter was born.

from a sweet, adorable baby

to a little girl, dancing and acting her way through Hollywood

to a teenager and young woman

to the beautiful, compassionate, and intelligent woman that she has become, she has given me unlimited joy. That has been her way of paying it forward to me. Happy birthday, "Rudy". I love you.