<center>![payitforward.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRh5uwZUKB9GJzXjUArxU9WZS58JMJr4wy5PEhdgF6Kb4/payitforward.png)</center>

---

<center>![steemlinedivider.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmPP5g9tirBYReKpojYxKXR5zJoH69NszYVtcibptyzvfu/steemlinedivider.png)</center>

---

<center><h2>Doing Things For Others Lightens My World.</h2></center>

I have done many different things since I joined Steemit in July 2016. I have often talked about my goals and my vision. I have shared many things from my personal life and I have openly talked about my mental issues and other obstacles I face in life. Many of you are also aware of some of the projects I launched and co-launched in an attempt to improve the experience for everyone and in an attempt to help others around me. In an attempt to grow the platform and to establish some sort of middle class. Long story short, I feel better when people smile.

This is one of the reasons I want to work with people who suffers from mental illness. This is also the reason why I work with elderly care right now, during my education. It doesn't necessarily take much to brighten someone's day a little bit, and even though I always knew that, it became crystal clear to me earlier today. I experienced it firsthand today.

I'm sick (man cold) so I've been home from School for two days now, but I had to buy some groceries so I went to the nearest store. It takes me 3 minutes or so to go there and I know the owners. We always talk for a few minutes about this and that, mostly about my mother and my grandmother though. It was no difference today. We stood there talking about whatever it was when an elderly woman came by. She had to go out during this cold, snowy weather to buy some milk and bread. She lived just across the street, but being an elderly woman at the age of 83, she had to use a walker.

My first thought was that someone should've been able to help her so she didn't have to go out by herself. I felt that I had to do something to brighten her day, so I decided to pay for her groceries. Milk and bread doesn't cost much, and she could afford it, but I felt sorry for her.

She asked me why and I told her exactly what I thought and felt. She told me that she has been living alone for the past 20 years and that she doesn't have any children. Her husband died many years ago and she has been alone since then.

I offered my assistance to carry her groceries and to follow her home, just to make sure she would get home in one piece. By doing that, she could focus on her legs and feet. She could focus on walking instead of other things. I carried the walker over some minor "snowbanks", meanwhile she grabbed a hold of my arm before she stepped over it.

This woman is about the same age as my grandmother. My grandmother is 80 years old and both me and my mother is helping her whenever she needs help. I couldn't accept the fact that this woman was all alone. I felt really sorry for her.

Anyhow, the woman is at her home now, in one piece, and both of us laughed and smiled many times, even though we only talked for about 30 minutes or so in total. 

My initial plan was to be out for about 15 minutes, but it took me almost one hour.

---

<center>![steemlinedivider.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmPP5g9tirBYReKpojYxKXR5zJoH69NszYVtcibptyzvfu/steemlinedivider.png)</center>

---

Most of the things I have done on Steemit, has been done **on** and **for** Steemit. I have focused on trying to improve the experience and make things easier for others, on Steemit. This time, I will focus on things **outside** of Steem instead. I have decided to pay for others  more often, even though I've done that many times before.

I have decided to help people smile more often. Even for small things like walking someone home or paying for milk and bread. I have decided to pay it forward more than ever before... 

- Because it makes me smile.

---

<center><h2>![hitmeasapsign.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcg2ZoSsKuvj4dsBVL8fBhM3avSnxMreBB9vKsYeTQEDw/hitmeasapsign.png)</h2></center>