I’ve sponsored this Pay It Forward For The Holidays initiative on the blockchain now for the past five years and its always the highlight of my Holiday season. This year it’s needed more than ever. 2020 has been the most challenging year most of us have ever lived through and we need a little optimism and goodness more than ever.
When this all began back in 2016 I was just beginning to notice how the mainstream media was flooding us with negativity and consumerism and how we could counteract it. After the year we’ve had it means so much more.
After the countless challenges 2020 has thrown at us so many people are struggling, many of them are doing so quietly and secretly.
“We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Through my social media pages I’m fortunate enough to have a sizable global audience of good-hearted people. It’s my wish to once again call them into action. I’m a firm believer that there is still more good than bad in the world and, once again this year, I’d like to prove it.
Your Participation Is Requested.
What I propose, if you can spare it, is to invest $20 (or whatever you can afford) in the goodness of humanity. You can use this to help someone you know or a stranger you cross paths with.
Anonymously pay for someone’s order in a drive-thru line at a restaurant, buy a hungry person a hot meal, drop off bags of groceries on the porch of someone less fortunate or simply hand someone a twenty dollar bill and say Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or whichever Holiday Greeting you prefer. It’s easy to forget that each of us are fighting a battle every day and, despite appearances, we have no idea what kind of struggles others are going through.
This idea is very simple but it serves a twofold purpose. It may just help renew someone else’s faith in the goodness of humanity and, I promise, it will make you feel INCREDIBLE! This simple act will bring you much more joy than anything than the cash could purchase. In fact, it might be the best gift you get this year.
I’ll be paying it forward myself over these next few weeks.
Keep it going! Please SHARE this post on Hive and other social media platforms or create posts of your own with the #payitforward tag.
Let’s start a wave of light to drown out the darkness of this world…or maybe just cause us to forget about it for a little while. Renew someone's faith in the goodness of humanity.
Thank you for your interest in my work. 2020 has been hard for us all in so many ways. May your Holidays be rich with all the things that truly matter.
With Immense Gratitude,
(Gif compliments of Giphy.com)
I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
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I congratulate you and support you in this initiative, Eric. At home we are used, at this time, to putting gifts on the tree for children who do not have the possibility of buying them. This year we are thinking of giving used clothes and shoes, considering how expensive they are in Venezuela. It is always good to do our little chain of favors, without the need of Christmas, but with this date and especially this year, it is necessary to appeal to the solidarity and good heart of the others. I hope you are well. A hug
Thanks Nancy! I always enjoy starting this "wave" every year and imagining how far it will ripple out across the world (thanks to Hive). The Holidays are going to be challenging for us this year but this initiative will be a bright spot. I hope you all are well and have a great week ahead! Merry Christmas!
A very beautiful and generous gesture, dear friend. I also believe that the good ones are more in this world and in the circumstances that we have had to live through the pandemic we have seen many gestures of kindness and solidarity. We have to continue multiplying these values. I also agree with you that the more we give selflessly and anonymously (we don't have to advertise that) the more abundance comes to us in a thousand ways and gives us joy in our hearts. Happy holidays, friend, health and many blessings for your life and your family. Thanks for everything, a big hug from Venezuela.
Thank you @aurodivys! I very much agree, sometimes all it takes is a little spark of a reminder for light to overtake darkness. May you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!
So awesome especially in these trying times! Happy to up and resteem!🎄👍🥰
It's more important than ever this year! Thanks for the support and Merry Christmas!
Hello dear friend @ericvancewalton good afternoon
What a beautiful post, full of beautiful feelings, goodness and hope, invites you to reflect and act accordingly.
These words were the teachings of my parents, actions that open many doors, because one never knows the return of life, maybe today you can be helping and tomorrow it will be you who needs help,
I have shared in all my social networks so that your words reach many people. That you had a beautiful night and a happy rest.
have a prosperous week
Those words of your parents were wise ones. We are all really like one huge family. Kindness is what have always gotten us through times of darkness. Have a wonderful week @jlufer!
What a great initiative. My wife and I inadvertently end up doing something like this each year. In fact, we just did something similar during the Thanksgiving break for a family that needed the help. We have been doing it so long that it has just become something we do, not something we put a lot of thought into or talk about too much. I'll be honest, it is mostly my wife because of her job. I am the money guy, she comes to me and says "honey, I need x amount for blah blah blah" and I say okay here. :)
That's awesome of you guys to do that. What I've found through this initiative through the years is how many people anonymously help others throughout the year. I hope you had a great weekend!
That is pretty awesome. It was pretty relaxing. I hope yours was nice as well!
Great initiative Eric and I will make sure I participate this year for sure. Some laborers I see at Eva's Tacos will be getting a free lunch on me starting tomorrow about noon time. Eva's is one of my favorite places for lunch, no mask require (which suits me just fine) and great food at reasonable prices.
Up-voted & reHived,
Sult
Wonderful of you to do that, Sult! If I ever make it your way I'm going to have to try some of these restaurants you mention. My wife is half Hispanic so she's a pretty tough critic of the Mexican food. ; ) Thanks for your support and we wish you a great week my friend. The new book is a couple weeks from launching. We had a hiccup with the eBook creation and I don't want to do the full launch until that's ready.
Fed three amigos on Monday, $20 bucks well spent. Let me know when I can order either hardbound or paperback.
Thanks,
Sult
Wonderful. Here’s a link to advanced copies of the paperback version for Hive, the official launch will be in a few weeks.
https://hive.blog/story/@ericvancewalton/an-important-announcement-about-my-new-book-mindful-moments
Thanks!
Thank you so much for doing this every year Eric, like you I do believe there is more good in this world, we just need to nudge some people and bring out that goodness!
We have been doing this for people we know who struggle but will surprise some strangers this year as a way of paying it forward a little more.
Wonderful initiative!
You're welcome @lizelle! I appreciate your support of it each year! A little human kindness can go a long way. This year I think it's just more about renewing people's faith more than anything. What a year it's been! Take care of yourselves and have a wonderful week!
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