(Image from Flickr)
In the middle of the frenetic craziness of packing and moving house recently (hence the lateness of this post), I stumbled across an awesome website: www.sparkpeople.com . Apart from the zingy name, which I love (who doesn't want to be 'sparky'?), the concept and vision of the site's developer caught my attention.
It's basically a site focussing on healthy eating and lifestyle, exercise and weightloss - complete with personalised diet plans, fitness routines, and recipes. And the best thing is the price: free!
The site creator has sunk $5 million into the project (obviously he's not short of a buck), with the altruistic vision to see people of every background and economic status being able to access top-quality weightloss and health advice, and the resulting better health.
I'm sure this guy could have invested his five million elsewhere, earning himself a lot of money. But he chose to help people, instead.
It's this same sort of selfless behaviour that my family and I have witnessed recently. As I mentioned above, we've been moving house - with all the accompanying mess, clutter, heavy lifting, and hassle that goes along with it.
But a number of people in our circle of friends and acquaintances have put their own lives on hold to help us - bringing trailers, lifting furniture, packing and wiping out cupboards, and taking care of our four children.
Without this sort of help, I'd feel more exhausted than I already am. I'm so thankful for their assistance, their can-do attitudes that have demonstrated some of the best aspects of human nature.
Just like the SparkPeople creator, they've given without expectation of receiving anything back in return - apart from a grateful handshake or hug from us. :)
So I'm now in the mood to 'pay it forward', to bless someone else just as I've been blessed. It might just be something small, like paying for an extra cup of coffee at my local cafe, or giving an elderly, garden-loving neighbour a gift of a pot plant to brighten her day. And the amazing thing is, I know that I'll feel just as great as the person receiving.
For an extra, feel-good zing to the everyday humdrum of life, I encourage you to find someone you can help out, bless, or be nice to - just because you can, without expecting anything back.
And you never know - your selfless action may be just the 'spark' needed to set off a whole culture of giving in your community.
I'd love to hear any ways you're paying it forward on my Facebook page. :)
It's basically a site focussing on healthy eating and lifestyle, exercise and weightloss - complete with personalised diet plans, fitness routines, and recipes. And the best thing is the price: free!
The site creator has sunk $5 million into the project (obviously he's not short of a buck), with the altruistic vision to see people of every background and economic status being able to access top-quality weightloss and health advice, and the resulting better health.
I'm sure this guy could have invested his five million elsewhere, earning himself a lot of money. But he chose to help people, instead.
It's this same sort of selfless behaviour that my family and I have witnessed recently. As I mentioned above, we've been moving house - with all the accompanying mess, clutter, heavy lifting, and hassle that goes along with it.
But a number of people in our circle of friends and acquaintances have put their own lives on hold to help us - bringing trailers, lifting furniture, packing and wiping out cupboards, and taking care of our four children.
Without this sort of help, I'd feel more exhausted than I already am. I'm so thankful for their assistance, their can-do attitudes that have demonstrated some of the best aspects of human nature.
Just like the SparkPeople creator, they've given without expectation of receiving anything back in return - apart from a grateful handshake or hug from us. :)
So I'm now in the mood to 'pay it forward', to bless someone else just as I've been blessed. It might just be something small, like paying for an extra cup of coffee at my local cafe, or giving an elderly, garden-loving neighbour a gift of a pot plant to brighten her day. And the amazing thing is, I know that I'll feel just as great as the person receiving.
For an extra, feel-good zing to the everyday humdrum of life, I encourage you to find someone you can help out, bless, or be nice to - just because you can, without expecting anything back.
And you never know - your selfless action may be just the 'spark' needed to set off a whole culture of giving in your community.
I'd love to hear any ways you're paying it forward on my Facebook page. :)
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