Practicing kindness and paying it forward

A friend of mine has been going through the motions in his life. He admittedly has not been happy in a long time. He explained that he feels emotionless and almost robotic in nature. I proposed that he complete a "pay it forward" and focus on how he feels afterwards. I wanted him to be in the moment and present with his feelings. Initially, my suggestion was to "pay it forward" by paying for a strangers beverage and/or food who is behind you in a drive through line. If you are unfamiliar with what I am referring to please take a moment to read this article: http://m.wikihow.com/Pay-It-Forward

I followed-up and asked if he had completed the pay it forward. He hadn't. Then a few days later I received a text message from him: "Does letting people pull out in traffic count as a pay it forward?  I used to never do that but I let 2-3 people this week." 

I was thrilled that he took a step forward in his journey to find happiness again. It is not an easy task to pull yourself out of a self-loathing routine. Misery loves company and often one can feel hopeless and overwhelmed. Practicing kindness is rewarding. Being kind to others can create a ripple effect. Small steps can eventually lead you down the path of self discovery.