If I was to say I set a prime example of "paying it forward" on a regular basis, I would be lying, so I will spare you the bs. What I do know is that there are more ways to "pay it forward" than monetarily and by that I mean, it is more than just the direction of going forward, it is the impact it has on what is <left> behind you. Every day we get the same 24 hours, the same 1,440 minutes, the same 86,400 seconds, as we did the day before, but that doesn't mean that what we did yesterday cannot bleed into today.

Manifestation: an event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something, especially a theory or an abstract idea. The things you do, the words you say, the feelings you have, the character you exhume, and the impact you desire to bring, are all of the ingredients that make up the manifestation that is you and the "event," "action," or "object" is your legacy and all of this is woven together to create the embodiment of you. What do you want to be? And each day you choose to be kind and show gratitude, you are sculpting the masterpiece that is all you leave behind. It has to be worth it. I find the fear of being forgotten to be innately natural and understandably so. After all, with the one shot you have in the current life you live, you are given no second chances so whether you choose to "pay it forward" in its literal sense or not, you are paying your legacy and the memorable version of you forward with the life that is lived during those 86,400 seconds. Maya Angelou said it best when quoting, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." It's true to say that even the smallest act of kindness can make the greatest impact.

Even through my brief skim of Facebook this morning, I found the story of a woman who was seen paying for her gas with her last $5 and when the man behind her in line noticed, he added $10 to her tank. She included in her version of events that this simple act of generosity is what altered her mindset from suicide to gratitude and suddenly she wanted to know what tomorrow has in store. Because we do not know when a person is on their last leg, awaiting the final straw, on the verge of their breaking point, it is up to us to abolish any negativity when in the presence of strangers.

I had a man enter into an elevator I was on the other day and when I asked him how he was doing, he responded with, "very well – but I'm not used to people talking on the elevator. You kind of took me by surprise there" and I'm not sure why this bothered me, but I was grateful to "be the change" in this particular scenario.

Then upon his exit, he gladly spun around and wished me a prosperous rest of the day and it was in that moment, I received the sort of "pay it forward" validation we don't always have the privilege of witnessing.

Befriending a stranger on an elevator may not be your cup of tea, but covering the cup of coffee for the person waiting behind you in line at Starbucks, or extended a "thank you" to the cleaning staff of your office building, can still be equally as rewarding. I challenge you to take a step in the direction of selflessness when you see the opportunity to do so and to continue to manifest within yourself, the kind of person you want to be – to cultivate into becoming the kind of person you would want to meet. When we cannot find the hero we need, it is necessary we know how to become one.