Pay it Forward.

The expression "pay it forward" is used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his 1841 essay Compensation^[1], wrote: "In the 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.

You may have also seen the movie "Pay It Forward", (When 11 ¹⁄₂-year-old Trevor McKinney (Osment) begins seventh grade in Las Vegas, Nevada, his social studies teacher Eugene Simonet (Spacey) gives the class an assignment to devise and put into action a plan that will change the world for the better. Trevor's plan is a charitable pyramid scheme, based on good deeds rather than profit. He calls his plan "Pay it forward", which means the recipient of a favor does a favor for a third party rather than paying the favor back.)

This week is proving to be a week where I need to focus on this. On Sunday night after doing some shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond, I returned to my car, loaded it up, and then put the cart back and went off on my merry way. I woke up Monday and headed to work only to find my wallet MISSING. NO WHERE to be found....I racked my brain thinking I must have left it at BB&B and I'd call them as soon as they opened. But before I could do that, a manager from the store next to BB&B called me and said "Jessica? You don't know me, but I am a manager at the Sports Authority and one of my associates found your wallet outside in one of the carts".

YUP--I LEFT IT OUTSIDE IN THE CART. I left it outside, overnight, in the rain...and someone found it and returned it with nothing missing. Thus, PAY IT FORWARD. I've let people cut me off (which we all know is a BIG STEP), and I'm looking for ways to help out others to make sure this good deed doesn't go unnoticed!