Guilt trip alert! According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are seven billion souls living on the Earth, right now. When was the last time you did something for your fellow Earthlings? When was the last time you stopping thinking about you, and started thinking about your neighbors and how to serve them? If the last time was more than a day ago, you fail. But don’t worry, you can make it up if you start today.
Saturday, October 27 is “Make a Difference Day” and it starts with you. Here are some ideas on how to make a big difference in your little world:
1. Don’t let the temperature fool you, fall is in full swing. This means there are a lot of leaves on the ground that need to be cleared up so you can get that one last mow in before the snow. Why not take your rake over to your neighbor’s house and rake his yard too. There is no doubt your good deed won’t go unappreciated or unnoticed.
2. Some of the coolest people live in nursing and assisted living homes. Call a local facility and see if you and your children can walk a floor a two and pass out Halloween treats to the residents. The treats can be either candy or homemade desserts like cookies but make sure to call and receive permission before heading over. If the resident community already has Halloween plans for their residents see if you can volunteer to help out at the event.
3. You might be a great tipper, but not everyone is. To help make up for the under-tippers of the world over-tip your servers or bartenders this weekend.
4. Red Cross is hosting a blood drive at Firelands Regional Medical Center on October 26. Give blood, save a life. More information can be found at http://www.redcrossblood.org/.
5. One of the best gifts you can give is your undivided attention and time. Typically we often think of what we have to do next or what we’re going to say next when someone talks to us. Make an effort to just listen to someone the next time they talk, really listen. Be one hundred percent present in each moment you’re given, you don’t know what you might learn about yourself or the other person.
A super cool website that lists more opportunities to serve is www.thevolunteercenter.com. It’s a lot like a job searching site, all you do is put in your local zip code to search places that are looking for volunteers, express interest in helping out at one of the locations and then wait for a call.
Don’t wait for this world to change on it’s own. Take Mahatma Gandhi’s advice and, “be the change you wish to see in the world.”
