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Saturday Musings - Give When You Can't Get
A few years ago I had the stupidest idea come to me as I stood at the check-out of our local supermarket. The idea was perplexing, somewhat terrifying and definitely made me incredibly nervous. No, I didn’t plan on robbing the store…..I planned on doing something much more adventurous.
I said to the lady in behind me, “I hope that you don’t mind but I’d like to pay for your groceries.”
I could feel my heart beating like crazy as I said the words but at the same time I felt oddly good about the state of the world.
She thanked me for the offer but said that she’d pay for her own groceries. I smiled and said, “I’ve had a really good year this past year and I really want to share some of that around. Please let me pay for your groceries.”
In the end she let me pay.
Let me tell you that I got the better end of the deal. After paying the bill (which wasn’t really that much) I left the store feeling so good I felt that I could almost fly. It was the effect of giving to someone that will never have a chance to give back. I hope that she did the same thing to someone else…..sort of like the movie “Pay it Forward”. If you haven’t seen this movie then I would highly recommend it.
I’ve done this similar sort of giving quite a few times…..one of the best ones is paying for the car behind you at the McDonald’s drive-through and then just driving off. It’s awesome!
Right now it’s the Christmas season and to me Christmas is all about giving. If you don’t have money then try giving some of your time, making something or just giving some love by listening to another person’s story. It’s easy to give when you may get something in return but how about if you never can?
So try something adventurous this Christmas and give to a stranger. You’ll be amazed at who gets the better deal. Feel free to share your own stories here about what it was like for you to give.
Merry Christmas!
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Michael Gilmour has been in business for over 32 years and has both a BSC in Electronics and Computer Science and an MBA. He was the former vice-chairman of the Internet Industry Association in Australia and is in demand as a speaker at Internet conferences the world over. Michael is passionate about working with online entrepreneurs to help them navigate their new ventures around the many pitfalls that all businesses face.
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Comments
I enjoyed the movie “Pay it Forward” more for its spirit than its story line. Years ago When I was attending a graduate school in Texas, I joined the Circle K Club. One day we went to a nursing home and talked with the elderly folks there as volunteers. The gentleman I was assigned to had a very heavy Southern accent. Though I could understand not much of what he was saying, I tried very hard and asked him questions about happy moments in his life. At the end of the visit, I was completely exhausted, but I was very satisfied because I saw that happiness on his face. I might be the first one he managed to talk with in days. There I learned the lesson that giving is the greatest source of happiness.
Kassey, what a great story!
I'm sure that the experience you related will be a real highlight for you for the rest of your life. It's amazing how good giving can be!