Calling
All Angels
 by Marie T. Russell
I just saw the movie "Pay It Forward"
which I had missed when it first came out in
the movie theatres. Paying it forward... What
a powerful concept! If you haven't seen this
movie, please do! (Or read the
book.)
Everyone should see this film or at least
be exposed to the concept. In case you don't get
a chance to see the movie, let me share the
premise with you.
Paying it forward is a method of passing
on a favor that has been done for you -- but
rather than "paying back" the person that did
you the favor, you "pay it forward" -- you do a
big favor for three other people. It is a Ponzi
or pyramid "scheme" you might say, but with the
goal of changing our world, three people at a
time.
So we start with each one of us
individually. You start (and I start) by doing
three people a really big favor, a life-changing
favor, something that the person can't do for
themselves. Then that person is "required" to
"pay it forward". In other words, rather than
"pay you back" for the favor, they "pay it
forward" to three other people. If every person
pays it forward to three other people, and each
of those people also do a favor for three
others, it grows exponentially. Your part is not
complete until three of the people that you have
helped have agreed (after they're "received"
your favor) to "pay it forward".
When his classmates express that this idea
is "crazy" or in the words of his teacher
"utopian", Trevor responds "So?" In other words,
yes it is a vision of a perfect world... "So?"
Every project has to start someplace... You've
heard the expression I'm sure: "Rome wasn't
built in a day." Well, changing the world also
doesn't happen in a day, but it must start with
one step, and then another, and another. But we
must start somewhere... And where do we start?
In the movie, "Pay It Forward", a school
teacher (played by Kevin Spacey) gives his 7th
grade students an assignment... they are to find
a way to change the world... And "paying it
forward" is the concept of a 12 year old child
(played by Haley Joel Osment) who later believes
his project has failed because his three
"favors" did not "succeed", at least in his
eyes.
He sees paying it forward as a way to not
only help people, but to "fix a person"... and
he feels the people he helped were not
"fixed"... but, we cannot judge the effect of
our one action. Each action has repercussions
out into the Universe that we may have no idea
are taking place (as we see in the movie).
When you help someone, or give love (a
smile or gratitude) to a tired store clerk, that
energy makes a difference, and that difference
then affects whoever else the person will
touch... One person at a time... We don't
know where our one action, or our one smile, or
our one good deed will lead. We may not see the
change, but like ripples in a pond after a small
pebble is thrown in, the change continues and
expands and spreads out and out.
Just think of it... If each one of you
reading this did one "big" thing to help
someone, to help transform their life...
something they couldn't do on their own (we
don't want to enable co-dependency, but rather
give someone a chance for a new start...) If
each of our 20,000 subscribers helped three
people that would be 60,000 people. Then when
those 60,000 people "paid it forward" to three
each, that would be 180,000... then again to
540,000... then again to 1,620,000... then again
to 4,860,000... then again to 14,580,000... And
that's just 6 "generations" reaching over 14
million people... That's awesome! And think of
this same concept applied to your workplace,
your family, everyone you encounter...
The film ends (no I won't tell you the
ending) with a song "Calling All Angels"...
calling all of us, all of us who are angels in
human form to come forward and participate in
this world-changing experience. We are all here
with a purpose... and whatever that individual
purpose, it is part of a greater purpose of
healing ourselves and the world... Changing the
world one person at a time... starting of course
with ourselves.
So, I'm calling all angels! Yes, that's
you. Let's start paying attention as 12 year old
Trevor tells us... start paying attention to
what people need... And then, let's be there...
Let us take action and make a difference...
anytime we can, even when there is "nothing in
it for us"... Even when it is not expected of
us... Even when we don't even know the person
that we will be helping... Even when we will
have no chance of personal reward or
recognition...
Pay it forward... Help the people you come
across... Life-changing events or not... Hold a
door open for someone... Give someone a hand...
Smile at a store clerk and mean it! Whatever you
can do to help spread the force of Love, do it!
If you want to, make it a plan to do three
"small" favors a day... Giving a helping hand to
someone, letting someone who looks stressed get
ahead of you in line at the checkout counter,
letting someone cut ahead of you in traffic
instead of stepping on the gas, sending love to
someone instead of impatience... Let your heart
guide you... Do things for people... Give love a
chance...
We can also put 12-year-old Trevor's idea
in action... Do something "big" for someone and
pass it on... Let us all pass it on... Let's
express the love that we know is needed by us,
and by others... Let's empower ourselves and
others... Let's be angels for the others we
meet... Let us be the Spirit in action that we
are... Let's "pay it forward"... Let's pass on
the Love... Let's be the change that we want to
see in the world. Is it time to stop complaining
about how terrible the world is, and time to
start doing something about it? ...one person at
a time...
Together we can do it... Each one of us at
a time spreading the love and the light...
Calling all Angels!
****************************
Quotes from 12-year-old Trevor
in "Pay It Forward":
"It's hard. You can't plan it. You have
to watch people more. Sort of keep an eye on
them... to protect them... cause they can't
always see what they need. It's your big
chance to "fix something" that's not like your
bike... You can fix a person..."
"I think some people are too scared...
that things could be different. I guess it's
hard for some people who are so used to things
the way they are, even if they're bad, to
change... cause, I guess, they kind of give
up. When they do, everybody kind of loses..."
****************************
Some of the
lyrics from the closing song:
"Calling All Angels"
...
then it's one foot then the other as you step
out onto the road
how much weight? how much weight?
then it's how long? and how far?
and how many times before it's too late?
calling all angels calling all angels
walk me through this one
don't leave me alone
calling all angels calling all angels
we're cryin' and we're hurtin'
and we're not sure why...
...
but if you could...do you think you would
trade in all the pain and suffering?
ah, but then you'd miss
the beauty of the light upon this earth
and the sweetness of the leaving
calling all angels calling all angels
walk me through this one
don't leave me alone
callin' all angels callin' all angels
we're tryin' we're hopin'
we're hurtin' we're lovin'
we're cryin' we're callin'
because we're not sure how this goes...
Written and performed by Jane Siberry (soundtrack) |
