Pay it Forward, or Random Acts of Kindness
Once upon a time, twelve-year-old Trevor decided to change the world. For majority of skeptics, these words may sound fantastic, but not for the quick-witted boy. Trevor developed a sure-fire strategy — he helped to three people and asked them to make good to unknown humans, in their turn. The endless circle should have embraced the entire globe… This story is included in the plot of American movie ‘Pay It Forward’. Once the film came out, the idea to create random acts of kindness became enormously popular. In every corner of the Earth people ask themselves, how we are able to add a particle of loving soul in the world of standoffishness.
One of the most prominent cases in a kingdom of random kindness is represented by Catherine Ryan Hyde. This woman is the author of the book which served as the plot for the film ‘Pay It Forward’. After the success of movie, she established a non-for-profit enterprise ‘Pay It Forward Foundation’ that has been enabling people all around the world to commit acts of random kindness to strangers and to those who need some help. Catherine Hyde and her group invented an exciting program for school curriculum where pupils are asked to make good deeds to their classmates during the lessons. Such an education involving kindness as the main moral scruple appears in American elementary schools. Pupils are getting accustomed to the open-hearted culture. As well, they demonstrate willingness to spread the best intentions — they wear T-shirts or hand-made crafts, for example, with the titles ‘Make America Kind Again’.
Adults join kind activities with a pleasure — for instance, the last Thursday of April is considered as Pay It Forward day. Australian Blake Beattie took up the initiative from the aforementioned American social movement and introduced his own vision how to change the world step by step. The previous year this unconventional holiday gathered warm-hearted people from 75 countries. The acts of kindness were quite simple yet pleasant — the participants could pay for someone’s cup of coffee or train tickets. Some do-gooders who had found out the rain on that day bought umbrellas and presented them to people on the streets. It may seem rather entertaining; however, serious professionals also took part in these activities — lawyers and teachers offered a free hour consultations.
The next source of inspiration for the random acts of kindness sounds like that: ‘We know that you are tired of all the negativity in the news, frustrated by the politics, sad to hear about all the pain and suffering out there’. This quotation belongs to the representatives of ‘Random Acts of Kindness Foundation’. It is another enterprise which feels responsible for the future of our world.
The smallest activist of this organization is only 8 years old — every year Abby chooses exact activity and does his work with impeccable thoroughness. Once he collected towels and brought them to the animal shelter, the next time he made delicious breakfast and delivered it to the police station. But what Abby is really proud of is measured in $1,000 gathered to help those who have suffered from tsunami. Another child who embarked upon charitable project is blind. As Paul cannot see, he lives in the world of music — gentle melodies give him a peace of mind. So, he decided to share his kindness with the environment and together with father collected donations to buy radios. Afterwards, they searched for the homeless people so as to give them a piece of music confined in the frames of radios.
Everybody has a creative soul and burning desire to improve human life. However, sometimes we feel injured because of somebody’s bad behavior directed to us. The only way to remain dignified is to create the beauty of random kindness. Just believe: an incentive of one inspirational personality could inflame the audience to strike a spark out of the whole crowd.
Published in: IndieLove Magazine (Australia)
