Want to spread some kindness? Presenting Your Turn Now cards

All of us have studied moral science in school – nothing more than a simple and scoring subject, we thought then. It is no surprise then that whatever we learnt in class was let behind there. Your Turn Now (YTN) is an attempt to revive lessons in kindness that we learnt in our moral science classes in real life.

The brainchild of Rushabh Turakhia, YTN is not a business or a social venture but a remainder of an act that you have to perform. The remainder is for an act of kindness. “When you do an act of kindness towards someone, in lieu of accepting a simple ‘thank you’ you give the person a YTN card so that the person can pass on the kindness to someone else in need,” explains Rushabh. Sounds like a far-fetched idea? Well maybe not. Because Rushabh claims he has to date printed and shipped over 1,40,000 cards since starting in December 2009. It is like a visiting card that has Your Turn Now printed on it. The card has been printed in eight languages — English, Hindi, French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Mandarin and Russian to cater to the demand they have received from 32 countries, including the UK, USA, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Zambia, Philippines, U.A.E and Nigeria.

“The target is to touch seven billon people on this planet at least once in their lifetime,” says Rushabh ambitiously. Rushabh’s obsession with YTN seems surreal when he says there is no bigger motive behind this gesture. “YTN is a move to make the world around you kind. It not only makes people around you more thoughtful, compassionate, kind and generous but also makes you more aware of the world around,” he says. He has a family business which helps him fund this passion. He recently released a compilation of stories of people who have received or given the YTN cards in the form of a book by the same name. The book is priced at Rs 189 and Rushabh says royalty received from the book will be used to further fund the passion. Major expenses are of printing and courier, as the cards are couriered across the globe.

Chetna Jhaveri of Gitanjali Jewels who has adopted this approach, says, “I think it is a very good idea and a nice gesture to pass kindness around. Though I haven’t distributed many cards, I make it a point to tell people about YTN and urge them also to spread the word.” Rushabh agrees there is no compulsion in giving the card, and the only purpose it serves is to act as a remainder. “Twenty years down the line even I don’t want these cards to be used; it should get into your DNA. By giving the card, you are not just helping someone but you also inspire them to be kind. In the last four years, I have seen the ripple effect and it’s beyond everything. Kindness is contagious and as of now YTN card is the medium to spread it,” adds Rushabh. You will find Rushabh personally participating in many networking events using Facebook, tapping into clubs like Lions and Rotary, or reaching out to platforms like Social Story to spread the word. If you would like to have one of these cards, visit the Your Turn Now website to place your order.

Learn more about them here.