Pass it On

Ever since the school shooting of those poor kids in Connecticut, I have been on a mission of my own. A mission to change the world. 

 Now I know that I co not have control over others.  I cannot make anyone behave and/or feel in anyway.  I can try to control my kids, but the truth is, even that comes with severe limitations.  But I do give them choices and consequences or rewards. 

So here is my plan to change the world.  I am playing the "pass it on" game.  Remember the game in school where you would whisper something to someone and then say pass it on? Well why can't we do that in real life?   The one thing I know is that if someone is nice to me, it makes me want to be nice to others.  I "pass it on".  I believe this to be true for everyone, or at least for most people. 

Its kind of like the "Pay it forward" theory.  Do you remember that movie?  Spreading good will through acts of kindness.  I want to start simple, spread good will through kind words.

Everytime I get on Facebook I am disheartened by all the negativity on there.  So now, every morning, I post something nice, (I wish you a long and prosperous life, I wish you a day of smiles, I wish you a wonderful day today)  and then I ask people to pass it on.  They aren't quite getting it yet, as they keep sending it back to me, which isn't quite what I had in mind. Today I posted my "Pass it on" message and then asked them to copy and repost.  We will see if they get it. I have about 900 friends on FB.  That is a lot of passing it on if I can help them to understand.

It is my belief that we cannot change others, but we can darn sure change ourselves, how we perceive the world, and what we give to the world through our words, thoughts and actions. I believe that a person who goes through life with gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion, has much more to offer than some one who is a genius.  That isn't to say that we don't need really smart people, we do.  But all the smarts in the world are worthless if it isn't matched by compassion.  I feel that gratitude and compassion are the two most important things I can teach my children.

Two nights ago Simon made the mistake of telling me he couldn't think of anything to be grateful for.  He spent an hour outside in the dog house so he could see what it is like to be homeless. When he was allowed to come in he gave me a long list of things he was grateful for.  Then we made a list of positive affirmations to put on his bathroom mirror. He says them every morning & his "teenage attitude" is better already.  He almost has them memorized so that he can say them when ever I ask him too.   I believe that it isn't just external negativity that spreads.  I believe that our negative self talk is just as damaging, if not more, than being negative towards others.  Actually I think it is where it all starts.

Interestingly enough, as I opened my email this morning, I had my weekly newsletter from Hoofprints.com. I was thrilled by what I read.  I am not the only one trying to promote the "Pass it On" theory!  There is a lovely reading there about that exact same thing.  I hope you have a few minutes to read it here.   If you scroll down towards the bottom of the page, after her two book reviews, she talks about "The Ripple Effect"

Here is a short excerpt:

A smile directed at a stranger, a compliment given to a friend, an attitude of laughter, or a thoughtful gesture can send ripples that spread among your loved ones and associates, out into your community, and finally throughout the world. You have the power to touch the lives of everyone you come into contact with and everyone those people come into contact with. The momentum of your influence will grow as your ripples moves onward and outward. One of those ripples could become a tidal wave of love and kindness. - From DailyOM

Here is a link to the DailyOM where it originated from

Call it what ever you wish, A ripple, Pass it on, Pay it Forward...it doesn't matter.  What matters is that we can change the world by changing ourselves.  Maybe if we can start this tidal wave of love and kindess, we will hear less and less about mass shootings, and drive bys, and people hurting other people.

So today I say to you, my blogging friends:  "I care about you and wish you a wonderful day"

Pass it on.