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Pay It Forward is a book, written by Catherine Ryan Hyde, which was later
made into a movie of the same name. In the movie, a young boy, Trevor, was
challenged by his teacher to come up with an idea that could change the world
and to put this idea into action. Trevor decided to do a kind deed for three
different people. These people then did the same to others. Each of these three
people then did the same good deed for three other people. As a result, Trevor's
one good deed led to nine acts of kindness and so the cycle continued. Trevor
may just be an imaginary character, but this work of fiction has been put into
practice by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, an organisation set
up to encourage people to carry out good deeds. People all over the world are
experiencing the pleasure of having kind deeds done for them and they in turn
reciprocate.
There are countless ways for people to show acts of kindness. It is not
limited to giving money by donating to a needy cause, but we can also take time
out to listen to someone who has a problem and needs a friend. "Somebody paid
for my order at a restaurant once," says Syed Haizir. "It really made my day, so
I try to do something similar as often as I can," he adds. Au Yeong, a student,
also found inspiration from the movie, Pay It Forward. On some days, he buys
copies of newspapers and puts a note between the pages saying, "Enjoy reading
... from someone who just wants to be kind." Then he gives the newspapers free
to people waiting at the bus-stop or at the train station.
A little creativity is very helpful in making others happy. If you come
across a humorous comic strip or an inspiring article, cut it out. Pass it on to
someone who might be interested in reading it. This will put a smile on their
face. Put together writing kits with stationery, envelopes, stamps or art
supplies and hand them over to patients at a hospital. These items will come in
handy to help patients keep in touch with friends as well as to keep
them occupied. You can give students
inexpensive raincoats which they can keep in their bags. On rainy days, these
will really be appreciated: textbooks and uniforms can be kept dry, and colds
may be prevented. A small act of kindness goes a long way.
There are indeed many ways to show kindness. You may think that being kind
will cost you a lot of money. Even those with the kindest hearts can be
overwhelmed by the idea of doing charity because they think it will take up too
much of their time. However, you can do good deeds for others with just what you
have, and the wonderful thing is that there are a lot of benefits for the people
who do these deeds. When people help others, they feel great about what they do.
They experience a greater sense of well-being which is critically important as
it helps to reduce common problems like stress and depression. These people will
be able to cope better with their own worries and problems.
Kindness has a way of catching on. Acts of kindness will give rise to more
acts of kindness. When more people show kindness to each other, society will
undergo changes. As each good turn leads to the next, the effect will multiply,
thus producing a caring society where people will be more concerned for others.
Consequently, this will lead to more positive effects like a lower crime rate
and happier citizens.
We may start by wanting to do something good, without expecting to get
anything in return at all. However, what a thrill it is to be on the receiving
end. Somehow, someday, our acts of kindness will certainly come back to us. |
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6. |
Based on the passage, writer
a summary of.
* the ways in which people
can show acts of kindness, and
* the benefits that can be
experienced from acts of kindness
Begin your summary as
follows:
One of the many ways to
show kindness is to ... |
