The Spoken Word - “Pass It On!”
Life’s true treasures are those we can share with
others without ever reducing our own supply.
Traits like kindness, courage, and happiness
have no expiration dates. They can be
transferred from life to life and shared from
generation to generation, with each new
reflection further brightening the world.
Among the most ennobling aspects of the human
family is our ability to share what we feel and to
teach what we know. By sharing the things that
have enriched our lives, we make the world a
better place. Through explanation and example,
we can increase our own joy by offering it to
others. As one expressed it: “Have you had a
kindness shown? Pass it on!”
The inherent powers of kindness, courage, and
happiness lie in their ability to reproduce
themselves when shared. Even the simplest acts
of generosity and goodness may be amplified by
grateful human hearts until they reach eternity. In
ever-widening ripples - like those that silently
spread after a rock is thrown into still pond - the
influence of doing good to a single individual
may expand in every direction.
By passing on the best that we know and the
best that we are, we are changing the
world - sometimes even during our daily
routines. A new mother gently rocks her baby to
sleep with a lullaby she learned from her
grandmother. In snarled traffic a patient driver
allows someone to merge, and that car’s grateful
driver extends the same courtesy to others.
Members of a family extend the same warm
welcome they received when they moved into
the neighborhood to the next new arrivals.
Each day we have the chance to blaze trails of
character and compassion that our families can
follow. Each day we can share our happiness
with friends and offer kindness to strangers. And
each day we can be courageous and patient in
enduring our trials. Ultimately, what we pass on
to others will outlive us.
We become architects of eternity when we live
the present moment well, using unselfish hands
to share lasting values and to create timeless
memories. Some of life’s most enduring and
inspiring gifts will forever bless the lives of others
if we will simply remember to pass them on.
by Lloyd D. Newell (1 March 1998)
Life’s true treasures are those we can share with
others without ever reducing our own supply.
Traits like kindness, courage, and happiness
have no expiration dates. They can be
transferred from life to life and shared from
generation to generation, with each new
reflection further brightening the world.
Among the most ennobling aspects of the human
family is our ability to share what we feel and to
teach what we know. By sharing the things that
have enriched our lives, we make the world a
better place. Through explanation and example,
we can increase our own joy by offering it to
others. As one expressed it: “Have you had a
kindness shown? Pass it on!”
The inherent powers of kindness, courage, and
happiness lie in their ability to reproduce
themselves when shared. Even the simplest acts
of generosity and goodness may be amplified by
grateful human hearts until they reach eternity. In
ever-widening ripples - like those that silently
spread after a rock is thrown into still pond - the
influence of doing good to a single individual
may expand in every direction.
By passing on the best that we know and the
best that we are, we are changing the
world - sometimes even during our daily
routines. A new mother gently rocks her baby to
sleep with a lullaby she learned from her
grandmother. In snarled traffic a patient driver
allows someone to merge, and that car’s grateful
driver extends the same courtesy to others.
Members of a family extend the same warm
welcome they received when they moved into
the neighborhood to the next new arrivals.
Each day we have the chance to blaze trails of
character and compassion that our families can
follow. Each day we can share our happiness
with friends and offer kindness to strangers. And
each day we can be courageous and patient in
enduring our trials. Ultimately, what we pass on
to others will outlive us.
We become architects of eternity when we live
the present moment well, using unselfish hands
to share lasting values and to create timeless
memories. Some of life’s most enduring and
inspiring gifts will forever bless the lives of others
if we will simply remember to pass them on.
by Lloyd D. Newell (1 March 1998)
