“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL
There are broadly two kinds of people in the world – the givers and the takers. Takers are those people who are more intent on receiving; they tend to be more self-focused. Givers, on the other hand, are people who are willing to give to others more than what they receive; they tend to be more concerned about the needs of others.
In the movie ‘Pay It Forward’, we see a very novel way of giving. Trevor, the main character in this movie, was inspired by his school assignment and decided to not return a favour, but rather to pay it forward. Can you imagine doing a favour for someone else or considering the needs of others by giving to them and not telling them to pay it back to you, but rather to pay it forward to someone else? What an amazing cycle of generosity this could generate!
The Bible says that it is more blessed to give than to receive. The example is set by God Himself, who is constantly giving as an outpouring of His deep love for the world. And there is something about giving that’s very contagious. Kindness has a way of begetting kindness, as it moves the recipient to be kind towards others around them. Such kindness, if set in motion, can go a long way in making our world a more compassionate and a more beautiful place to live in. Today, we see so much need all around us and so many people suffering in one way or the other. And each of us is blessed in different ways. So, let’s do our part and strive to ‘pay it forward’ with all the resources and means we have.
