"Give like a rose gives its perfume... effortlessly, unconditionally because it is its own nature."
-Swami Vivekananda
Today, April 26th, is Pay-it-Forward Day, and to get fired up to celebrate it, here are ten great, real-world stories. Each demonstrates a different way of expressing kindness -- anonymously, just because it is in our own true nature.
1. The tried and tested - pay for the coffee for the person in the line behind you.
2. Anonymously pay for someone’s meal at a restaurant.
3. Gift something from your home to someone who might appreciate it.
4. Get your friends together - organize a ‘Pay-it-Forward’ activity with people in your community.
5. If you can’t organize a group, you could do a pay-it-forward activity on your own - like giving flowers or chocolates to random strangers.
6. Leave a surprise gift somewhere for someone to find with a Smile Card so that they understand what it’s for.
7. Teach children about the concept of ‘pay-it-forward’ - it's never too young to start!
8. Do something to honor the public service workers in your community.
9. Go big - this year think of something really big or completely unexpected!
10. Finally – don’t forget to spread the word!
