Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Tu Mir a Toiveh*




*Tu Mir a Toiveh: Do Me a Favor (Yiddish)


Toiveh comes from the Hebrew, Tovah, meaning good...so loosely translates as "something good."


No doubt I've made mention of it countless times in my blog, but I'll do so again. Take the time to do someone some good. Don't do it for brownie points, for another "Been there, done that" to check off on your mitzvah list. In the words of Nike, JUST DO IT!...simply because.


I do things for others...because I can. Because I want to.


In busy traffic or not, I let people merge into my lane -- wouldn't I want someone to do that for me?


I often give people coupons in the supermarket, coupons that I happen to have and know that I will not use before the expiry, but I see these people have the item in their shopping cart or on the conveyor belt at the checkout aisle.


I give compliments. Doesn't it perk up your day if someone, even a stranger, throws a nice word or two your way? It might not just perk up your day, it might make your day, and make all the difference.


I share my knowledge and resourcefulness with others. If I can help someone get ahead in the editorial world, if I can help them better their writing, it helps better my writing too.


I advertise others' blogs -- not because they ask me to, but because I often suggest it and ask permission to do so, or simply because I want to share what I think is interesting/brilliant/creative or maybe even helpful to another reader. (I kvell when I go to a referral blog and see that visitors have come there via my suggestion. If I'm on to a good thing, I'm happy that others can join in that discovery.)


So "tu mir a toiveh" and do yourself a favor: DO A FAVOR FOR SOMEONE ELSE, thus creating a link of goodness.