20 Ways You Can Be the Change You Wish to See
April 4, 2008 by writingimpromptu
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” -Mahatmas Ghandi
Here are some ways to start now:
1. Be nice to people. See how positive energy attracts positive energy. Also see how one smile to a stranger can brighten both of your days.
2. Take responsibility for your actions and stop making excuses.
3. Make a donation and see how giving spreads positive energy and love. And often in giving to others, you will find you give more to yourself in the long run.
4. Love and appreciate your body and get rid of hang-ups and negative associations you have with your body.
5. Eat organic foods as much as possible and understand that natural foods treat the body and the planet as they were originally intended.
6. Plant trees. Spread clean air throughout the world by donating or planting trees. We need trees in our ecosystem. Plants keep us breathing by providing us with oxygen and by removing carbon dioxide from our environment.
7. Conserve water. Turn it off while you brush your teeth. Take quicker showers. Use a lower-water setting on your washing machine when washing a small load (or only wash regular-sized loads). Don’t water your lawn on days it rains (what a waste of water AND money!).
8. Recycle. Most communities even provide free recycle bins and a pick-up service right from your curb. If not, you can probably find recycling centers at local community parks or fire stations. The offset to the landfills and environment are worth the small extra effort it takes to throw that plastic bottle into a recycling bin instead of the trash can.
9. Buy “Energy Star” appliances and save a ton of energy with everyday activities.
10. Donate a book you bought and are done reading to the library or you can donate it to BookCrossing.
11. Leave something to charity in your will. No one likes to talk about it, but one day we will all be wishing we had made our will sooner (or worst case scenario, someone else will be wishing you had). Write yours up now and in it leave something to a cause you care about whether it is AIDS orphans, the American Cancer Society, or the ASPCA. Make the world better even after you’re gone! What a great gift!
12. Visit FreeRice.com and for every question you answer correctly, they donate 20 grains of rice to the UN World Food Programme to help end hunger. Boost your brain power and help starving people! It’s a win-win!
13. If you have flowers in your garden, share them with someone else. Give a bunch to an elderly neighbor or to a friend going through a “rough time”. Give some to your significant other “just because” and watch as their whole day brightens.
14. If you provide some kind of professional service, offer it for FREE once a week to someone who needs it. You read that correctly- for free. Free dental cleaning; free house cleaning; free meal at your restaurant; free accounting service. Let your profession be your way of giving.
15. Send a note of appreciation to your local police department or fire house. That doesn’t happen nearly enough.
16. Donate your obsolete cell phones to a Battered Women’s Shelter. They can still be used to make 911 calls- giving a lifeline to someone who may desperately need it.
17. Have a garage sale and donate the proceeds to charity. You will clean out your clutter and help an organization who needs it.
18. Volunteer to read or play games with children in your local hospital. They will remember your kindness and may grow up to repay that kindness by doing the same for someone else.
19. Paint over violent graffiti.
20. Search for ways to compliment every day. Did the waitress do a great job? Tell her so. Let the dry cleaning attendant know they have a great smile. Tell a shop owner you notice how clean and neat they keep their store. Look for ways to make people feel special and good about themselves. Plus, the more recognition someone receives for doing a great job, the harder they work to keep the compliments coming because someone is noticing their efforts!
These ideas came from several places off of the internet. Two such places are We the Change and Together We Can Change the World Publishing.
