Great Ways To Pay It Forward

By Samantha Samuelson
Posted on 26 Apr, 2019

To pay it forward is to repay a person's kindness by being kind to someone else. But why not take it up a notch and be the trigger point. The simplest of actions can make a huge difference in someone else’s life and can set off a good-deed chain. Start today with one of these simple things on our list.

	Compliment those around you. Pick a day to walk around and give people random (yet relevant!) compliments.
	Pay the toll for the person in the car behind you. The next person in line often repeats the good deed. Toll workers have reported that sometimes this chain can go on for many cars.
	Help carry bags for anyone who looks like they’re struggling. Whether in a parking lot, or up the stairs of the subway station. Others who see you do this will be more likely to others in the future.
	Bring lost items you find to the lost and found. The best feeling is when someone returns your wallet with everything in it.
	Introduce yourself. Make new colleagues, classmates, etc. feel welcome.
	Clean out all your old clothes and donate them to someone in need. Your old is someone else’s new.
	Listen intently to people’s stories without trying to fix everything.Very often, we just need to be heard.
	Hold the door open for the person behind you. Watch this video clip about Opening Doors.
	Donate blood. One pint of blood can save up to three lives.
	Check up on someone who looks lonely. Your companionship is worth more than money to them.
	Let someone with only a few items cut you in line at the grocery store.If you've been at the receiving end of this, you'll know the feeling I'm talking about.
	Help someone get your parking space in a crowded parking lot when you’re leaving. This priceless gesture doesn't cost you a thing.
	Give words of encouragement to someone about their dreams, no matter how big or small they are. Because your approval, or anyone's for that matter, means a lot.
	Stop and buy a drink from a kid’s lemonade stand. You'll not only make their day, you'll make your own.
	Redirect gifts. Instead of having people give you birthday and holiday gifts, ask them to donate gifts or money to a good cause. Chances are, they will do the same in the future.
	Babysit for couples or single parents who don’t get out much so they can have some alone time. It will make them feel human again.
	Come to the rescue. If you realize someone is sick, bring them some hot tea, soup, etc.
	Lend $25 to people who need funds but don't have access to bank loans. By using Kiva, you can help female entrepreneurs in Rwanda pay for work supplies, a struggling Nicaraguan student afford college, or an Armenian family buy a crib for their baby. This is not a handout, but a loan. 98% of all loans are paid back and you can choose to take it back, or loan it to someone else.
	Help the weary shopper in front of you who needs that extra two or three cents to avoid breaking a 20-dollar bill. The gesture is worth a lot.
	Go through your bookshelf for books that a certain friend would like. And give it to them.
	Leave encouraging post-it notes in library books and other random places. Imagine the serendipity of the person who stumbles on it.
	If you see a couple taking a self-pic, offer to take the picture for them. When they look back on the photo, they'd also probably think you and your kind deed.
	When someone wants to repay you for something, ask them to pay it forward. Let your kindness go viral.
	Write a shining Yelp review. Do you have a favorite server at the restaurant around the corner? Is your hair stylist the nicest woman ever? Give them virtual kudos. Their bosses will definitely take notice.
	Pass along coupons. Don't pitch those coupons crowding your mailbox! Tack them to the bulletin board in your office, local coffee shop, or gym. Somebody is bound to need them.
	Share an umbrella. We’ve all been there: soggy and without an umbrella. So, if you've got yours, offer to walk an umbrella-less stranger where he or she needs to go. Hairdo saved!
	Always ride with an extra bike patch. Few things are more disheartening than blowing your bike’s tire. So when you see a fellow cyclist stranded on the side of the trail, help them out. Maybe someday someone will do the same for you.