Pay It Forward

"One can never pay in gratitude: one can only pay ‘in kind’ somewhere else in life."

  ~  Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The expression "pay it forward" is used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead. In contract law,  typically there are two parties but there is the concept of third party beneficiaries. Pay it forward merely applies this contract law concept so that third party beneficiary be a stranger to the creditor. More specifically, the creditor offers the debtor the option of "paying" the debt forward by lending it to a third person instead of paying it back to the original creditor. Debt and payments can be monetary or by good deeds.

In Ryan Hyde's book and movie , Pay It Forward, it is described as an obligation to do three good deeds for others in repayment of a good deed that one receives. Such good deeds should be things that the other person cannot accomplish on their own. In this way, the need to help one another can spread exponentially through society, creating a social movement with the goal of making the world a better place.

To further promote the pay it forward idea, university student Christopher Lo was inspired to created The Karma Seed service and website in 2010 after he unexpectedly regained a lost video camera due to the kindness of a stranger. A "Karma Seed" is a small, plastic card with a unique number and directions for accessing the website. If you perform a favor for someone, you can pass them a Karma Seed card, ask them to check the card in online, and request that they pass the card onto someone else after doing a good deed for them in "pay it forward" fashion. Any recipient or giver of a Karma Seed can go the website and see a history of the good deeds affiliated with the card. The Karma Seed is an LLC company that contributes 50% of profits to The Karma Seed Foundation to support social projects in the geographic area of Washington University in St. Louis.

Please share your stories and ideas about Paying it Forward!!! I am interested in learning more and I just purchased a few Karma Seeds myself.. Cant wait for the oppourtunity to use them and Im really interested in sharing my stories with you about my, Paying it Forward stories.

http://www.payitforwardfoundation.org/wristbands.html
http://thekarmaseed.org/about