Seeds of Change

Acts of Service to Humanity

“Our own life has to be our message.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Life is all about giving and taking. The world is a better place when we live with love,
compassion, and forgiveness. If we look around, we will always find one, two (or more)
individuals whose presence makes a difference for the better. They make us feel safe, reassured that there is goodness in the world. They inspire us to become beacons of light, they inspire us to become the best that we can be. They can come in many guises, they could be your teachers, parents, siblings, friends, or acquaintances, or even perfect strangers. 

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The small acts of services to humanity, include a smile, greeting with positivity, simple
acts of being nice to someone who is having a tough time, taking nicely, being supportive,
encouraging, emphatic, caring, giving of charity to the needy (such as desolate people found in
the metro, on the street), or simply buying some groceries for the hungry. These people are the
real heroes who seek out opportunities to “do right” for others.
Another small act of service is ‘Paying It Forward’ which is an opportunity to ‘do right.” The website
www.dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/pay-it-forward defines this concept as,
“Pay It Forward is an expression for when the recipient of an act of kindness does something kind for someone else rather than simply accepting or repaying the original good deed.”
The same website explains that ‘Pay It Forward,’ is an ancient concept which is found in literature ranging from Ancient Greek to Benjamin Franklin’s letters. “Ralph Waldo Emerson, for one developed a theory of it in his 1841 essay “Compensation:” “In order of nature we cannot render benefits to those from whom we receive them, or only seldom. But the benefit we receive must be rendered again, line for line, deed for deed, cent for cent, to somebody.” 

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Some Rules for Paying It Forward

1. Be Kind.
2. Be Positive.
3. Give your seat to an elderly person.
4. Help someone without asking.
5. Pay for someone’s meals.
6. Take care of yourself, your body.
7. Give someone your undivided attention.
8. Do an act of kindness to 3 people.

The website www.planetofsuccess.com/blog/2016/ideas-topay-it-forward/, explains that,

“By paying it forward, you can make quite an important difference in this world. Not only will you brighten another person’s mood, but you will also set a chain reaction in motion. If you pay it forward to three people, who again pay it forward to three others themselves, the entire planet could be transformed. Affecting change does not take much. You do not have to be rich, powerful, or influential. Every ordinary person can make this world a better place, for instance by paying it forward.”

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Winston S. Churchill

9. Be willing to help the known and unknown. This means you can help family, friends, and
unknown people.
10. Give freely without expectations i.e. Do not expect others to give you back for your kindness.
Some examples of Paying It Forward

- Buy someone’s lunch by paying for the person behind you.
- Help a homeless stranger by buying him foods or clothes and giving him direction to the
homeless shelter.
- Donate your good clothes, book, and other items to the needy. i.e., donate your books to the
library, your clothes, and other items to the salvation army or such an organization.
- Smile at someone.
- Compliment someone.
- Being Encouraging.
- Being Supportive.
- Being kind, compassionate.
- Listening to someone’s story.
- Offering your time and service for free.
- Help an elderly-by spending time with them, helping with their chores, etc.

 

“There is no higher religion than human service.” Albert Schweitzer

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