You may have read about a concept called Pay It Forward. Or might have seeen the movie. Well, I have seen someone practicing it. My colleague RameshB.
Imagine that you are driving your motorcycle to work one morning. The weather is hot and you are sweating. You look forward to getting to the cool and comfortable environs of your office. The very thought makes you accelerate your bike. Instead of the increased speed that you expect, all you get to hear is a spluttering engine, and your mind goes … Oh Oh… forgot to fill the petrol!
The next petrol bunk is only 2 km away. As bikes and their riders zoom past, you wonder whether your boss will believe you when you tell him the reason for missing the 10 AM meeting. Taking off your helmet, you decide to take steady steps towards the petrol bunk. Sweat pores out from wherever it can, and you stop to wipe it away. And then push again.
“Hello! Out of petrol?” comes the friendly query from a stranger, who in this case happens to be RameshB.
“Yes”, if your irritated response. Or a tired one. Or a hopeful one once you realise that he has stopped his vehicle next to yours.
RameshB opens his motorcycle’s side box, and out comes a 1 l water bottle, only it does not have water, but petrol! “Use this, so that you can get to the nearest petrol bunk riding, not pushing your bike”, he says.
“OK. Come on. Ask for money now. Take advantage of my situation.”, your mind goes on an overdrive. It never comes. The request for money, that is. The petrol is for free. Really.
Now, you start feeling guilty about those negative emotions. “Thanks a lot. So, how much should I pay you?”, you ask of RameshB.
“Nothing”, says RameshB. “If possible, I wan’t you to do one thing. Keep a bottle of petrol like I do and help someone else who you find in a similar situation.”
Pay It Forward. Being kind to a stranger when they need your kindness the most. Does RameshB expect anything in return? Yes. He hopes that if he is in trouble, someone will stop by and offer to help.
PS:
One of the recepients of RameshB’s kindness, was so moved by it, that the next day he made it a point to come all the way from Yelahanka to Marathahalli and gift him a T-shirt, and another 1 l bottle with petrol.
What's the point? 
I have a different point of view, If someone is pushing the bike my view is “ he is being punished for his own sin”. If the same person is pushing the vehicle because of his tyre got punctured possibly I would help him.
I personally don’t like the advertisement of ICICI Lombard. One person says My vehicle insurance was expiring at 11:00 PM and I got it on line and another lady saying I forgot to take the travel insurance, just before boarding the flight I got it. Don’t you feel they lack in personal leadership.
I have a friend of mine I learnt lot more about personal leadership. Even when he wants to go on a day out with family, the first thing he makes sure is to prepare the checklist and sit with his wife to review it. He makes sure he collects all the ones which have been listed. He even collects the phone number of the his car work shop person and informs him that he is going out. This is precisely the personal leadership.
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@Nagesh: Thanks for your detailed comments. As you say, it is a different point of view. And I appreciate it. I hope to meet you when I have a punctured tyre! 🙂
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Enjoyed both the article and the comment from Nagesh. Taking it to a higher level always there used to be debate on whether rich people money (read txpayers money) should be used to dole out money (they call it welfare) to poor people who are out of work in united states.
Always Republicans used to oppose and democrats used to support giving money to poor. Republicans argument usually used to be on the lines of comment made by Nagesh. Democrats usually take the high road as in the article. Both are good point of views.
I always used to think republicans were right but Obama changed all that.
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