Paying It Forward (Literally)

When I was 7 years old, I really wanted a red Game Boy Color. My parents told me that if I saved up half the required amount, they'd pay for the other half. Determined to get my hands on Super Mario Bros., I spent three months doing extra chores around the house, holding lemonade stands, selling old toys and books at garage sales, and collecting spare change. (The couch became my best friend.) When I finally walked out of Target with that gaming console in my hands, I couldn't have been happier. That is, until I saw my best friend with her new Game Boy Advance.

Starting at a very young age, I saw money as the thing that stood between me and happiness. No one ever had to actually tell me that money was important or valuable. There was always just the association between it and everything I wanted. If I wanted candy from the gumball machine, I needed a quarter. If I wanted the latest Harry Potter book, I needed a twenty dollar bill. Saving up money became a consistent routine. It was both exciting and frustrating. The older I got, the greater the amount that I needed. My goal was just out of reach, and with every dollar, I was one step closer to freedom--freedom from having to wait patiently and from having to turn down other things in the process. No matter how long it took, I always felt successful and extremely happy. Unfortunately, that feeling was only temporary. Once the new turned old or once the book left a cliffhanger (that was the worst), it was back to saving up for the next thing.

Nowadays, I save my money for other reasons. Most of it is going towards paying back my parents for college, but a lot of it, I'm actually using to pay it forward (literally). The two causes I support are Operation Christmas Child and No Kid Hungry. Both are non-profits that are close to my heart. Operation Christmas Child is a project that involves people filling and donating shoeboxes with toys, books, hygiene items, and school supplies to be sent around the world to underprivileged children during the holiday season. No Kid Hungry is a campaign that connects kids in need with nutritious food, with the ultimate goal of ending child hunger in America. Each month I set aside a fixed percentage of my earnings to donate 50/50 to these causes. Even though I can't physically be next to the kids when they open the presents or when they pick up their free school lunch, I know that my donations are making a difference in their lives. 

 In her book, The Soul of Money, Lynn Twist captures our relationship with money. The following quotes is one of my favorites.

"However we choose, we express ourselves in the way we send our money into the world, and with every dollar goes the energy, the imprimatur, of our intentions. The mind-set of scarcity and the longing for "more" lose their grip, and we begin to make different choices. Money becomes a conduit, a way to express our highest ideals. Money becomes the currency of love and commitment, expressing the best of who you are."

Saying that you don't have enough money is not a good enough excuse. As Twist puts it, "Money is a great translator of intention to reality, vision to fulfillment" (194), meaning that we have the choice to use money in whatever way we want. Whether it be buying a new car or giving to the church, our true intentions come out with how we use our money. My motives for saving money have changed since I was 7, and the feeling of happiness that I get from paying it forward lasts much longer than it did from buying material items. My commitment to saving money is now far more valuable and rewarding, and whatever it takes, I'll continue to pay it forward.