Pay it Forward

Joseph Campbell once said, "A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." In America, we are all well aware that today was Veteran's Day, a day to honor those who have served our country in the military. If you haven't thanked our service men/women yet, take time to do so. They have sacrificed so that we can have what we do today.

For those of you who haven't been in the military, for whatever reason,  you can become a hero too! Patriotism doesn't necessarily need to be shown by joining the military. You can give back to society through any type of community work. The holiday season is well upon us now. Along with that comes more than ample opportunity to think of others above ourselves.

Here are just a few ideas:

* Help someone with their yard work, raking, or shoveling. It doesn't matter if the people you help are able bodied, disabled, or elderly. The point is that you are thinking of someone other than yourself. (Of course, if you know people who are handicapped and/or elderly, you may want to consider them first!)

* Sign up to ring bells for the Salvation Army. This campaign is a big push for them so that they can help others. Your time spent ringing bells could provide help for more people than you realize. Not only that, bell ringing is a job that you really can make into a fun time! Sign up with friends or family, sing songs, spread the excitement by helping to put a smile on someone's face. You will have a good time and chances are, donations will be increased.

*Check with local churches or community groups to find out if they know of anyone in need. You could simply help by being a friend, making a meal, running errands, or even adopting a family for Christmas.

*Random Acts of Kindness - This is one of my absolute favorite ways to give back to society! You can do some random thing for anyone, anywhere! You know your own family well. They are easy to treat with extra kindness. But what about a random stranger? This is easy when I go  through a drive through at various restaurants. Occasionally, after I finish paying for my meal, I ask to pay for the person behind me. I wish I could hear their reactions! You could help them out at a gas station or grocery store. Perhaps it is simply offering to take care of their shopping cart after they finish with it. For those you know a little better, what about an encouragement card or package? Maybe a special meal that you prepare for them…possibilities are endless!

The ideas here are not necessarily just meant for a short term project, although they certainly can be! The idea behind volunteering is to help others. Share what you can. Become a hero by thinking of others above yourself. By doing a social work, you are giving back to society.

Do you have ways that you already give? Do you have ideas to share? Please feel free to comment and inspire other readers!