Why Not . . . Pay it Forward?

“You may be only one person in this world, but to one person at one time, you are the world.” -Anonymous

While waiting in the Portland airport for my flight to Paris yesterday, I was immediately alerted to the news that my flight was delayed. While normally I wouldn’t be bothered by this, I already had a quick connecting flight in Chicago and had a feeling I would have to adjust my flight plan.

Upon checking with the airlines, it was confirmed, the last leg of my trip would have to be changed. Out of curiosity, I asked as to the reason behind the delay, and I discovered that the tragic events four days ago in San Francisco were still reverberating throughout the airline community. Learning of this reason gave me pause, as I did notice, that not many people were upset by the delay (perhaps they understood why or perhaps leisurely summer travel was indeed showing their benefits).

Either way, I couldn’t help but think about the effects of any action we take throughout our day. Do we ever really know where the effects of our actions end?

As we know the events in San Francisco were horrific, and while they could have been worse, no one wants to hear of such sad news. One life taken, is one life too many. No matter how large or small, the ripple effect continues far longer than we can ever predict. But if this incident can have such a lasting negative effect, what about the lasting effect of kindness, compassion, thoughtfulness and optimism?

Sharing a smile, opening a door, letting go of a grudge, taking that nap you desperately need to fend off a grumpy disposition – seemingly simple actions that can help prompt positive effects down the road, effecting people you will never even meet.

After all, our world can never have too much positive human interactions. So today, recognize the power in simple actions, and even if you don’t know the person understand that we are all connected.

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