You Get What You Pay Forward

Several years ago there was a movie that came out called “Pay It Forward.” It’s a story about a kid who, in response to a class project, decided to do an act of kindness with nothing in return except the commitment that the person would do another act of kindness for three other people.

I also remember hearing this statement coming from my parents more than once: “You get what you pay for.” I thought, those two things really go together, don’t they?  You get what you pay forward.

If you are in a situation today where you feel like opportunities are passing you by, that you gather all the wrong kinds of people around you, maybe you need to understand this simple principle: you get what you pay forward.  It’s not just good things, as in the movie.  It’s also negative things. You’re like a magnet, attracting people to you, if you pay forward love, kindness, generosity, enthusiasm, and passion for life, you will attract those kinds of people.

My good friend Dan Miller gave me a quote the other day that I thought was powerful.  “Within ten years you will be making within ten percent of the people you hang around with.”  If you hang around broke people, you’re going to be 10 % more or less broke than them. If you hang around successful people – winners – then you’ll be 10% one side or the other of them.  This is true.

You want to do something smart for yourself?  Learn this principle: You get what you’re paying forward.