What would you do?

Have you seen the show, "What Would You Do?" with John Quiñones on ABC?  If you haven't, take some time to watch a few episodes.  It's a hidden camera show where actors act out scenes of conflict or illegal activity in public settings.  The focus is whether or not bystanders will intervene when they think no one is watching. The scenarios make you think about what you would do if certain events took place right in front of you. I've watched some very powerful acts on this show and often wondered what I would do had it been me.

As you might guess, I'm pretty verbal and passionate when it comes to stepping up to do the "right" thing; not perfect by any means.  I've hit some low places in my life and have always been beyond grateful to the people who have showed up to help me out. Many of those have been complete strangers.  So when offered the "chance" to pay it forward, I respond to the Universes nudge accordingly.

It's no wonder I did what I'm about to share.  (Some of you have probably done the same).

The other day I was at the grocery store.  The woman in front of me was buying a few essentials and a few "non essentials".  Those non essentials were a box of no brand cake mix, a tub of no brand frosting and a few birthday candles - for her sons birthday.  She didn't have enough cash and began putting away the birthday stuff.  You can guess that the people behind us were getting very frustrated.  Who knows, maybe they were in a hurry.

Well, those are considered ESSENTIALS in my life.  So, I offered up the cash to pay for them.  Not because I wanted a thank you or any other type of recognition; because I wanted a child to receive recognition from his mother - something symbolic of the love she had for him.  There have been many more instances like this in my life; some more dramatic, some less dramatic.  (I think John Quiñones and his team would approve!)

One of my own low places was just after my divorce, when my kids were babies.  I was a single parent and didn't have quite enough money to buy presents for Christmas.  That year my sister and her husband, my sister in law and my brother, made sure my kids had more than enough presents from their mom and "Santa". We awoke to bags of gifts on our front porch.  It was our own Christmas Miracle.

Next time you're in a situation that calls for stepping up, just act as if John Quiñones and a whole TV crew were watching and ask yourself, "What would you do?"  Practice Soul-cial Living, I hope!

Peace and blissings....