Are You Paying It Forward?

August 17, 2017

My niece, Dominique Hooper and her daughter Dejah were recently in Walmart shopping for college stuff.  Dejah was getting ready for her freshman debut at Penn State University Park Campus this fall. By the way, Dejah’s high school GPA was 4.0 (just had to do a little bragging).  

As they were heading down the store aisle, an 80+-year-old Caucasian woman approached them and asked if someone was going off to college. 

“Yes, my daughter Dejah,” Dominique proudly replied.  

“Congratulations,” replied the woman with a smile. 

As they were checking out at the register with bins and other college-related items, the same woman came over and said, “I don’t question God, but he’s telling me to help you out.”  She waited for the items to be totaled and paid the entire bill. 

She turned to Dejah and said, “Stay humble, stay beautiful inside and make us proud.” 

Dominique thanked the lady and gave her a big hug.   

It’s those random acts of kindness that warm my heart.  It also reminds me of how blessed I am and how we all should think about how to pay it forward. It doesn’t have to be financial.  It can be the gift of time or just helping someone get to the next stage in their life.   

As I think back, there are many individuals in my life who have helped me be a better person. I can honestly say that the entire neighborhood of South Oakland Pittsburgh where I grew up rallied around me as I pursued my degree. I had no other choice but to make them proud.  

That’s one of the reasons I often help others. For example, I recently began mentoring a young lady in Washington DC. She had earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in journalism, but was unable to crack the communications job code.  In addition to an informal coaching session, I helped her update her resume to be more communications-friendly and revised her cover letter to better position herself for new opportunities. When she called to tell me she got an interview, I was so excited for her. Earlier this year, I also helped a young man get an internship at a video production house in Philadelphia. I recently checked in with him to see how the internship was going, and he loved it. 

Tips to Pay It Forward  

• Write a thank you note when someone does something nice for you. 
• Be a mentor to a less experienced person. 
• Do something nice for the most difficult person in your office.  Sometimes a bit of kindness goes a long way. 
• Buy coffee or lunch for the person behind you in line, and ask them to pay it forward. My friend Faye often does this for individuals. 
• Bring in doughnuts or bagels for breakfast for the department, or maybe fruit one afternoon. 
• Help someone do something above and beyond your usual routine, just because you can. When I was getting ready to rent my house in Pittsburgh, one of my besties was a lifesaver. She went shopping for furniture, picked out kitchen cabinets and whatever else was necessary to get the house operational.  

All of these things may be little, but they certainly add up.  Sometimes we are so self-focused that we lose sight of how we can make a positive difference in the lives of others.  Remember, people who pay it forward are the recipient of more abundance and joy in their lives, directly and indirectly.  

Let me know how you have paid it forward lately!