While I was YouTubing the other day, I stumbled across a video that, I kid you not, changed my life. If you are a firm believer that giving is better than receiving, you too will love this video.
I have never been so disappointed for the future. When I was a kid, I used to envision the future as a time where everyone was friendly, technology helped bring people together, nature thrived as cars hovered over the ground and that the air was cleaner. We may have crossed off some of the items off of that list, but not all of them.
If we were to give a little love, whether it is helping them across the street or stopping a fight, then we will in turn get love back. I remember stumbling upon an article about a young man named Matthew Jackson from California. In short, there was a woman paying at a Trader Joe's when her card kept being declined. Jackson gave a little love and paid for this woman’s $200 grocery bill and his only request was for her to pay it forward. Sadly, he passed away not even 24-hours after that incident in a car accident, leaving the woman from Trader Joe's unable to thank him one more time. However, his legacy lives on.
Jackson willingly offered his money for a complete stranger. An act such as this is great and expensive; however, that same amount can be shown through actions. Below this article is the video which helped inspire me this article. If we were to view the people around us as ourselves, how would we want to be treated? If we were struggling to get out of a bus, would we all want someone reaching out to help us? What about helping someone up on their feet when they fall down? It is the random acts of kindness that, in turn, could potentially bring us all closer together.
The world is a scary place, honestly, and I hate seeing what is happening to it. I am still in my early twenties and I still see people watching others fall down, cry alone and sit by themselves as they eat lunch. Whatever happened to, “Hey, are you okay? Is anyone sitting here? I would like to buy you a coffee if you pay the same act forward.” We all have the potential to be better and we all have the potential to be inspiring.
“You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Mark 12:31
This may sound like a boring article to you, but I see that there is still a chance for us. I see that our generation has the potential to be something bigger than it already is. Helen Keller believed that the most beautiful things in life can only be felt with the heart, so why are we not practicing it?
Who knows, maybe that random act of kindness that you do will make its way around the world and right back to you.
