pass it forward

you know how ellen degeneres ends every one of her shows with the simple, albeit powerful: 
"be kind to one another."


it hits me with the power of gale force winds each and every time. and not simply because she has given some very deserving person a house and i've cried along with them.


the older i get, the more i realize this is the secret of life. 
truly.


have fun. 
love. 
be kind.


honestly, i think that is what life is about.

{via}

there is so much hurt in this world. so much pain. everyone you interact with on a daily basis has a story. a story that is theirs, and theirs alone. it will no doubt be sprinkled with beauty, saturated in joy, but there is heartache at every turn as well. think about how much your day is turned around when someone extends a helping hand, a stranger throws your a lifeboat. whether it is a neighbor who invites your kids over to play when you have a migraine, a stranger in front of you at starbucks who pays for your order as you are coping with anxiety of an upcoming doctor appointment, every little thing adds up to big joy, great days that might have just been good ones, the fuel to keep it going, spreading the love, onward, upward, forward.


it tickles every vein in my body to see amazing, beautiful, motivating projects such as this, come to light!


new project: pass it forward



in ashley's words:

Pass It Forward was designed to get people to do little things, everyday, that makes an impact on the community around them. Pass it Forward is designed around a card (read card that I've attached now so you understand). Each card is given a unique ID number. Lets say we're at McDonalds, and I decide to pay for the person behind me in the drive through. I'd give the cashier the card, and tell them to pass it along to the next car when the give them the food that has been paid for. I then go home and log into the website that was on the card, and find my unique ID number. I log into it, and add my information... My first name, city, and a description of what I did....

Let's say the person behind me was you, you would pass it forward to someone else, and then would go home and do the same thing. From the very beginning, you will be able to track where your card goes, and how many people you affect just by doing one simple act of kindness.

*******

let's do this together. let's ease the pain of life and bring forth the joy. let's love one another. really, it is what we are here to do!

xo.

tahnie