Pay It Forward - Give The Gift Of Yourself

I have been extremely fortunate to have had many people in my past give me the gift of a bit of their time, to teach me something new or share their experiences with me so I can benefit from their learning.

I have discovered I get great enjoyment and a lot of positive energy when I can help someone else. The experience is even sweeter when the gift is unexpected, and there are no expectations of repayment or 'strings attached'. It doesn't need to be a huge commitment, small gifts are treasured as much as large ones.

At other corporate jobs there were other co-workers whom I could help out, and act as a mentor for them. I found this very rewarding, it helped with their personal development, it helped me become a better teacher, and I feel good about myself knowing I made the world a little bit better that day.

I have kept this philosophy as a private business person. I host a monthly local balloon twisting jam (we break for the summer) where newbies and experienced twisters gather at a pizza restaurant, where we share stories, new techniques and ideas. When I return from balloon conventions I would run a slide show of the event pictures on my laptop to share the experience with my associates. I also interact with artists on Face Book to offer ideas and share knowledge. Happiness is a very interesting commodity – you don’t need to take someone else’s happiness, you can simply create more, and the more you make the more there is for everyone.

Action Item: Share a bit of your knowledge with someone. Give a bit of yourself as a gift.