Welcome to The Pay It Forward Chronicles.
If you already know me, the title needs no explanation. For those of you who don't know me, I invite you to visit my profile page.
The Pay It Forward Chronicles was born as a result of my efforts to live the Pay It Forward Life - giving "forward" to someone else when you receive a blessing.
I am an active LinkedIn power networker, with more than 4,300 first level connections to date. I always strive to help others and when I connect I ask them: "how can I be of service to you."
A wise friend, Dan Nelson, taught me it is easier (and much more rewarding) to bless instead of curse. Dan (and now I) truly believes that both come back on you. I would prefer to receive the blessings!
I am also creator and host of LinkedIn Live Raleigh - an in-person gathering of my first link connections that occurs every other month in the Raleigh/Durham, NC area. We have been fortunate enough to see LI Live grow from its first meeting of 50 people in July, 2007 to 170 at our last meeting that occurred this week (January 15).
This blog will offer advice on living the Pay it Forward Life, chronicle PIFL stories and a place where you can add your comments and stories, as well.
Paying it Forward,
Chuck
About Me
- Chuck Hester
- I am a pay it forward power networker on LinkedIn. If you want to connect directly to me, go to www.linkedin.com/in/chuckhester You will find all the information you need to do so. I live the pay it forward lifestyle - if you are helped, don't help that person, instead "pay it forward" to someone else in need. The blessing will come back to you!
6 comments:
Dear Chuck, I am thrilled you've taken "pay it forward" to the blogsphere! I also enjoy moving positive experiences forward and find it truly rewarding. I'll be watching your latest venture!
Best,
Kim Hetrick
Chuck,
As I have said several times before, thank you for setting up these LinkedIn Live events. I always enjoy going to them to meet and help other local professionals.
IBM will be hosting a recruiting event geared toward women and minorities in the RTP area January 31 and February 1 called Project View Plus. This is an invitation only event and you need to email your resume to IBM by January 25. If anyone is interested, please email me.
Allan
Hey Chuck:
I always loved that movie and it's message. We live it out a little bit differently, ministering to those who can't pay us back (the homeless, poor, prisoners, elderly). We don't actually suggest they "pay it forward" but it happens anyway.
We really have to get together sometime, as I live in Raleigh and work downtown.
God bless
Al Boyce
Hey Chuck,
Congrats on the new blog!
Dan Karleen
Chuck,
There are culture differences that sometimes prevent pay-it-forward opportunities. And, without the opportunity, there can be no pay-it-forward lifestyle.
Some otherwise open to providing such an opportunity for others may feel disrespected when approached, choosing to see it as an attack, either implicitly or explicitly; others fear it, distrusting a history of ulterior motivation behind every good deed; and some equate the value of such help to its cost, meaning anything free is worthless and the price tag to pay it forward ingenuine.
I have experienced this in action in North America. By joining professional associations and becoming active, I by-passed these obstacles. But countries like Poland, where I am, lack pay-it-forward opportunities.
I believe pay-it-forward does return to the sender in a "what goes around comes around" sense.
So I am seeking such pay-it-forward opportunities based in North America. I have a background in public relations and business consulting and I can freely tele-advise or manage a project where a young company may already have the hands in place but lack the 19 years' internationally tinged experience I can bring to it.
Thanks for this opportunity to advertise myself, Chuck! I really do miss the times I spent helping out SMEs when I was back home and I look forward to doing so again before I leave Poland.
All the best,
Richard Whipple
To Richard:
To me, "paying it forward" works when the action is anonymous, just as it does when the doer and the action are known. Perhaps you can't professionally pay it forward where you're at, but you can surely do something anonymously and simple, like dropping a coin in someone's expired meter, paying a toll for the person behind you (or two behind you to divert suspicion), or pay a simple compliment, such as "Job well done," which really works well when you tell that to a person's boss (perhaps not in Poland, but hopefully you get my point).
Another tactic I've taken that sometimes helps others to loosen up is to seek their help with something (for instance, "You always do a good job at {writing reports, chairing meetings, communicating with customers, or somesuch}. Would you share some tips with me?"). This shows respect for the other person's knowledge/experience and sometimes makes them willing to ask for your or somebody else's help in the future.
Just some thoughts that may help. If so, great; if not, maybe they'll help another reader.
Take care.
Joyce
Post a Comment