Pay it forward.

[jvs]

This seems to be a good time of the year to star this thread,as the title says,pay it forward.

When i was younger i watched the movie and it did not seem much to me,just a bunch of sensitive stuff.

When i was a little older i found myself in need of help because life caught up with me.

Good friends of mine in Canada took me in and treated me as family and cared for me very well until i was able to find a job again and provide for myself.

Around that time i decided to pay it forward when i could and when it was needed.

It all makes a lot of sense to me now ,living in Thailand and it gives me a genuine chance to make a difference in peoples lives.

Yes i am providing (some) money to my Gf family and i don't want to hear or need to hear from people i am weak or stupid or are being used.

When i see what relatively a small sum of money can do for a poor family who has always been struggling and working hard then i know it is the right thing to do.

This is not about being used or any other negative option but pure and simple from wanting to help some people,what is wrong with that?

How many of you are paying it forward and for what reason?When i was needy i was giving the help i needed but i was not able to pay my friends back and i know they would never have accepted any payment in money but i am very sure they would be ok with what i am doing now.

[benalibina]

Nice topic......does it come from your heart or the mind ?

[beachproperty]

Understand the concept of "pay it forward". What I find sad is the fact that you had to undergo some "hardship" first and have another family show you kindness before you became enlightened about "Pay it forward".

Basicly that's all "Pay it forward" is .....is showing kindness to our fellow man and helping out where we can....

Great concept though....wouldn't it be nice if we ALL just "did it" .....be kind and generous

Merry Christmas!

[jvs]

It is always on my mind but comes from the heart.

[farang000999]

What you are doing is not pay it forward. It is a transaction. You are reaping the benefit of your charity. Certainly your gf is happier, more receptive since she/her family is being compensated for her company. Pay It Forward is when you help random people without any expectation of personal benefit and in a way that the benefactors do not even know who you are.

It seems more like you are trying to convince yourself of something than you are sharing a story with us.

[mickjn]

Could you lend me $100 until my ship comes in

[Hardened Spanker]

Pay it forward for the rental of your girlfriend?
I do the same with my internet and satellite TV!

[David48]

I understand the OP but, it reads as a justification statement and most likely refers to wants and not needs.

And the (inferred) reference is to the standard of living that the OP enjoyed in the west relative to what he experiences here in Thailand.

Currently I drive a car built in 1997 ... 16 years old now ... far below the standard of living in my country where the average age is 10 years. I wish for a new car, I want a new car ... but since my car is quite serviceable ... do I 'need' a new car ... not really, it's fit for service.

What is says about you jvs (the OP) when you write "When I see what relatively a small sum of money" is that your mentality is still in the West.

You write ... "when I was needing" ... when maybe the correct term was "When I was Wanting"

jvs ... what is a "...relatively a small sum of money" ... how much do you 'Pay Forward'?

Put some meat on the bones of your Opening Post.

.

[Maestro]

Removed a troll post.

[daoyai]

Understand the concept of "pay it forward". What I find sad is the fact that you had to undergo some "hardship" first and have another family show you kindness before you became enlightened about "Pay it forward".

Basicly that's all "Pay it forward" is .....is showing kindness to our fellow man and helping out where we can....

Great concept though....wouldn't it be nice if we ALL just "did it" .....be kind and generous

Merry Christmas!

I disagree, imo pay it forward is just as the op describes it, if you are helped along the way by someone in a better financial situation than you, it may be better to help someone in the future in a worse situation instead of "paying back" the original help. (if they are secure). I don't find it "sad" that the op learned from his hardship, that is part of growing.

[simon43]

Pay it forward reaps more sustainable benefits if you pay by imparting experience and knowledge, rather than money.

You know the saying 'Give a man a fish and he'll eat for one day. give him a fishing net and he'll eat for a year'

When I work in Myanmar, I go to Dala Township, which is a very poor, slum area just across the river from the main town. Many families cannot even afford to pay for basic, government primary school education. I could give them some money, but the benefit would be short-lived. Rather, I use my teaching skills to teach students conversational English, so that they can increase their chances of landing work in a tourist business, restaurant, shop etc.

You do not need money to 'pay it forward'.

I'm not religious, but having had a roller-coaster life, especially in money and family matters, I hold the view that for every piece of good luck that I have, (new job etc), I should repay my good luck in kind by helping others who are less fortunate than myself.

Simon

[beachproperty]

So if I understand most of you correctly.....

"Pay if forward" .....waiting for someone to do you a kindness before you "pay forward" any kindness to others.....

is better than just being a kind and giving person ALL the time (and by giving I do not limit it to just money....) and NOT waiting for someone to be kind to you first....which was my point why I find it sad...

Why wait for someone to do a kindness to you before you act.....Just be a kind and giving person (when you can) ALL the time....

Not sure why any of you would disagree with that out look on life.....oh well TV

Works for me!

[CharlieH]

What I find sad, especially at this time of year is that a person comes along, talks about helping others, regardless of any gimmick saying, and people feel the need to pull it apart, to criticise or justify it. Its quite easy to see what the intention and sentiment is behind the OP, so why try to tear it down, thats the sad part.

Beachproperty, spot on !

[daoyai]

So if I understand most of you correctly.....

"Pay if forward" .....waiting for someone to do you a kindness before you "pay forward" any kindness to others.....

is better than just being a kind and giving person ALL the time (and by giving I do not limit it to just money....) and NOT waiting for someone to be kind to you first....which was my point why I find it sad...

Why wait for someone to do a kindness to you before you act.....Just be a kind and giving person (when you can) ALL the time....

Not sure why any of you would disagree with that out look on life.....oh well TV

Works for me!

Well kindness was payed to me from birth so I didn't have to wait. .....oh well TV.