Pay It Forward

Hey friends,

Several weeks ago I happened to watch an episode of Oprah show whereby she claimed it was her favorite give away ever (what could be greater than giving away a brand new car to every member of the audience as she did at the start of her new season?) As the show progressed, the give away turned out to be $1000 on the Bank of American card, and a new Sony DVD camcorder. There was a condition to this give-away. Every member of the audience had to use the money on a complete stranger(s) and make a difference in his/ her life. They could do absolutely anything with the money, in whatever way they wish to use and all of it had to be documented on the camcorder.

A week ago, the follow up to that show was aired, and the results were phenomenonal. In short, there were some people who use that $1000 in such amazing and wonderful ways that it made me realize how easy it is to make such a huge difference in people's lives. However, the best part of giving away of this money was the satisfaction you would get in yourself for doing such a thing. With some of the situations I saw, it gave me a thrill and an adrenalin rush too.

The concept of pay it forward was explored in the movie Pay It Forward, and the concept is indeed worthwhile. The main thing one has to do is to do a good deed to a person, or several people, and have them do a good deed to someone else, and in this way the doing goodness to others will spread. It may seem like a dead and near-impossible concept, but I remember in 2004 where I got talking to a labor on my work site in Saudi and he told me of my mom's kindness to him. Point being, many times we don't realize that we are actually helping people and making a huge difference in their lives.

I tell you, the feeling you get from helping others around you is one of the best feeling you can get. It is indeed better to give, and receive something else so amazing back into your life. I am already thinking of three people in my life who could benefit tremendously if I give something to them totally unexpected that will help them in their lives. And the feeling is even more amazing when that someone is a complete stranger!

And you know something really startling? Everytime I give something to someone, be it monetary gift, or my time, or gifts generally, I get something back ten times as much. Sometimes the "thanks" I get from others in return is bigger than the gift itself. God has a funny way of working things out that whoever gives gets something bigger in return.

Mansur