Pay it forward directed by Mimi Leder tells the story of a young boy, Trevor, and the efforts that he goes to, to make a positive difference to society. I was inspired by this book because Trevor showed me how anyone, any age can make a difference in the world, big or small. For Trevor, it all started with a social studies project where Trevor came up with the idea to ‘pay it forward.’ His concept was to do something for 3 different people that made a positive impact on their life, and then for those three people to pay it forward creating a domino effect. I think that this was a great idea and showed me the immense kindness that Trevor had in his heart. Often in society today, we find it hard to pay it forward because things don’t go to plan, or it may be too far out of our …show more content…
“I guess it’s hard for some people, who are so used to things the way they are, to change, and kinda give up, and then you kinda lose.” This quote made me realise the importance of going out of your comfort zone, because if you don’t then you may end up later on regretting your decision. In society today, people are so afraid of change, but after watching this movie I was influenced to embrace change, and that it isn’t something to be afraid of, or hide from. In society, people try to eliminate change and hide away from it, but I think that we need to accept change, because everyday we are constantly changing, and if things didn’t change, beautiful things would be impossible, like love, butterflies and life. In this movie, Trevor embraced change and took a leap of faith by inviting Mr Simonet around to his house, to organise a dinner with his mum. I admired the way that Trevor put others before himself, and by watching him continuously carry out acts of kindness, this inspired me to want to do good for others and to go out of my comfort
Trevor’s idea was to do kind things for 3 people, something they can’t do on their own. Instead of repaying the good deed to the original giver, you pay it forward to new people in the hopes of them repeating the process. The good dead that you do for three people is supposed to be something big that can change their life. The first person that Trevor tries his idea on is a homeless heroin addict. He gave the addict a place to stay for a night and money so he could eventually use that to buy clothes for a job interview. What might seem like a insignificant deed was the beginning of a movement that was grew bigger than any of the people involved. The other two people that Trevor chose to help were Mr. Simonet and his friend that was bullied.
This book in some ways just reminds me that no matter how boring some volunteer work might seem sometimes, it is altruistic in ways we will never understand. Even simple things like handing out water, setting up luminaria bags honoring love ones, or simply playing music for military personnel, veterans and their families reminds me that simply my vision is to help, to be an influence of good. A small amount of your own time can go a long way for someone
Most people feel that they should help the needy in some way or another. The problem is how to help them. This problem generally arises when there is a person sitting on the side of the road in battered clothes with a cardboard sign asking for some form of help, almost always in the form of money. Yet something makes the giver uneasy. What will they do with this money? Do they need this money? Will it really help them? The truth of the matter is, it won't. However, there are things that can be done to help the needy. Giving money to a reliable foundation will help the helpless, something that transferring money from a pocket to a man's tin can will never do.
Have you ever found yourself at a high point and getting everything you thought you wanted only to get knocked down, beaten up and left back at square one? I know I have, as a musician, and as a person. This would also apply to a certain character from a novel I am reading. You might recognize the title from a movie a while back, “Pay It Forward”.
Accepting change can be both hard and scary. With change comes discomfort, insecurity, and the possibility of negative results. Although younger generations have an easier time adjusting to and accepting the ever-changing world in ways such as technology, education, and what is to be considered ‘typical’, older generations seem to have a tougher time breaking from tradition and giving new things a try. Four authors discuss the difficulty some have of accepting change through poetry, song, and informative articles, and the impact it has on society or an individual. At first their writings may seem unrelated. However, although the formats, stories, and directions are different, there is one thing in which they become strongly unified; the particular pieces of literature all uniquely share a common theme that shows
Getting everyone encourages their friends and family to help do the same we can make the world
Have you ever felt as a child that the world is perfect and everything is great but then grow up to realize how different it is. That’s how Jacqueline Woodson felt as she grew up. As we grow up, our perspectives of the world changes through experience. In “When a Southern Town Broke a Heart”, Woodson introduces change as a central idea of the story. By seeing how she changes over the course of the story, it seems evident that Woodsen is trying to convey to the reader that one’s perspective of the world changes the older they are.
“Making a Difference” by June Callwood is an expository essay created to inspire the reader to make a change in the world around them, and to stand up for what they believe in. By just doing simple, positive things, people can make a huge impact on their lives and the lives of people around them. June Callwood, author of “Making a Difference”, changes the way many people see the world by describing scientific research and telling the stories of people who performed small, random acts of kindness that made a huge difference in people’s attitudes and the community around them.
One might ask how a common man of society could be able to give back without knowing what his talents might be. As with any society, if the people do not play a role, the society
Whether it be mentoring, helping the homeless, giving blood, holding a charity event or helping support those in need. No matter what the type of work you do is, it matters as long as it helps the community become a better place. The act of kindness that you perform today can save a life tomorrow. Every person isn’t born with ethical thoughts, or thoughts at all but they learn them as they grow. For example, if you see your parents or someone that you admire do good things such as giving back, and help people who need it or just doing right by the religion that they follow, then there is a split chance, that you will follow in those same exact footsteps and fill them just as well as you were taught. Not saying you have to go out of your way to give money to help someone pay for groceries and do things for the less fortunate, but put yourself in their shoes. What would life be like from the other side? Could you still have everything you have now? Everybody can’t be financially stable all the time and you never know when the tables could turn and you can be in their place. It doesn 't take much time to make a difference in your community or any community rather. Give what you can and be that change you want to see in others. We have to learn to work together, rather than despising one another or not getting along with each other for no reason logical. “Two minds are greater than one”. If we stop working against each other and start
While humans are “hardwired to care and help,” there is still a great number of people who have the ability and resources to support their community but do not because they either do not know the needs of their community or they do not know the impact their money or time can make (Kristof and WuDunn 2014:304). Unfortunately, studies have shown that people who are members of the upper class share a significantly smaller portion of their income compared to those who are from the lower- or middle-class. It is important to remember that this does not mean that affluent members of society are greedy or inconsiderate, but rather they are isolated from those in need and therefore may encounter significantly “fewer needy people than the poor, who are surrounded by those in need of a helping hand” (Kristof and WuDunn 2014:304). I believe that regardless of class or social experience, it is important to contribute to the community in whatever way we can, whether that be through donations, volunteering, or advocacy (Kristof and WuDunn 2014). Small actions can make a huge difference in the lives of others and I believe that every citizen is responsible for taking action when and where they
The Novel has changed my view of the life which I live as it has really opened my eyes to seeing how privileged I truly am. It also makes an individual realize that we should help the people around us as it can mean anything to that person such as the start to a new and better life. The novel teaches us to feed our passions and to ignore the ideas of others that may criticize it.
Throughout the novel the reader finds out that one cannot stew over a negative situation, but instead, find the positive in a negative situation and move on to better things. In addition, people should always be themselves because we all matter, no matter what our differences.
Trevor has had to deal with the burden of his mother who is a struggling alcohol in recovery and who is trying to find control in her life, all the while dealing with an abusive boyfriend who impregnated his mom. He's also dealt with the emotional burden of the assignment he has received, mainly because he's felt that he actually hasn't helped others or they haven't payed it forward to others. What he doesn't know is that his mothers and others have helped others through paying it forward and inspiring
When we sacrifice our time to help someone in need, whether it is a great or small need, we become a part of their life and can help alleviate heavy burdens. We feel good for looking outside ourselves and contributin...