When myself, or my family as a whole, are blessed with the generosity of others, it is in those moments of time I feel continually and immensely blessed. Because of this, I wanted to explore on how each and every one of us can ALWAYS pay it forward on a daily basis. Enjoy!

Pay it forward, first and foremost, in love. In this day and this economy, most of us don’t have the money to spend on others, so we have to find other ways to be generous. Loving someone unconditionally is a generosity factor, for when they hurt you, you need to find the strength to forgive them and move forward.  Loving others, despite their faults, is what Christ has taught us all to do.  You may not want to be friends, and that is ok because certain relationships should never be made, but respect those who are in your life with God’s love that shines through you. Write a letter, an email, send a postcard, or just throw someone a smile- be generous with your love to make this world a better place.

Be generous with your time. How many times do loved ones ask of your time, only for you to be too busy? We all have things going on, but have you ever seen someone’s face light up when you committed to making plans with them? I LOVE seeing that! I have found that as I get older that I love spending time with others, more than any materialistic thing on this planet. I think that when my time comes, I will look back on my life on all the wonderful times spend with my husband, my girls, my family, and my friends – I won’t be thinking about the flowers I never got, or did. Doesn’t mean I don’t love things, it just means I don’t have priority in them anymore.  Time is precious, so be generous with yours.

If you have the money to be generous, be so.  I always think about winning the lottery some day, and how many lives I could change with it. I would help those who have helped us over the years, along with so many others, and it gives me great joy just to THINK about it- I can’t imagine being able to do it one day.  Until the day I become a Millionaire, I CAN do something with small amounts we do have. Help a Shelter, donate toys at Christmas, and give to my Church once I find one. If you see someone struggling, help them out. A small example, Mom and I were shopping at a Goodwill in WI last week, and woman in front of us didn’t have enough money for her purchase. She looked distraught and embarrassed, and before she could even close her purse to walk away from her transaction, I had my cash out to help her. It wasn’t much, but to her, it was everything. No one likes to ask for help, so if you see someone in need, take the first step in helping them.

Lastly, but most importantly, be generous with your kindness and patience. I know I have touched upon kindness in its own post before, but it is always a great reminder to all of us. Hold doors open at the stores, use your manners, offer your place in line to someone who may be running late to get somewhere else, and above EVERYTHING ELSE- give someone the benefit of the doubt- ALWAYS. What I mean by this, is when you run across someone who is so mean, and so crabby you just want to scream at them- think about your darkest day, and how you may have treated others on it. You weren’t thinking about them, you were thinking about yourself and your situation- so when you come across others in their dark places, give them the benefit of the doubt and be lenient on them.  I believe that THAT is the biggest act of kindness, and patience, that everyone could bestow on each other these days. It doesn’t give you the right to be a jerk, just gives you the right to be human for that moment you are struggling with.

Since this is a Disney related blog, I thought I would give ideas to those of you who would like to be generous while on your WDW vacation. Use your left-over meal or snack credits for others in line at the Food Court, or offer to buy someone a meal. Pay for someone’s parking behind you at the turnstile, or offer to buy someone’s first Mickey bar. Get fast-passes for the sole purpose of giving them away- they are gold to someone who didn’t get to the Park early enough. Offer your seat on a crowded Disney bus, or help to a mother who is struggling with her kids. There are a thousand things you could do to be generous in WDW, and it is a great way to feel even better while on vacation.

You can never be generous enough, so even when you think you have all you have to give, dig deep and find more. If we all play our part on this planet, no one would go hungry, no one would be cold, and no one would be homeless. Be generous today, and every day, and see how the world smiles back at you- I promise you, it will!