World No-Tobacco Day

    Smoking is a drag, literally. It is bad for your health and the environment. If you need a little push to help you quit or to encourage a loved one to stop smoking, the American Lung Association website at lung.org is replete with helpful information. They report that smoking related diseases in the United States claim an estimated 443,000 lives each year. In addition, cigarette smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. Leave this old habit behind and we'll all breathe easier!

Have a Good Neighbor Policy

    If you live next to an elderly couple or someone who is disabled, volunteer to help them around their yard by raking their leaves or mowing their lawn. Consider it good exercise and a good deed.

Click to Give

    There are many websites that are click-to-give. Just by clicking, you can help send food or money to countries and causes that need them. One of them is greatergood.com. It just takes a few keystrokes to make someone's life better.

Wish Upon a Hero

    Grant someone a wish through Wish Upon a Hero, a network dedicated to people helping people. Anyone can be a hero by sending a donation or offering a service. Explore heronetwork.com to browse through wishes and see if you can help with any. It is a really good reminder of what others are going through and that you are needed in this world.

Start a Changepot

    This is exactly as it sounds: a pot for change. If you don't mind stopping in the middle of a sidewalk or side of the road, pick up loose change that has fallen to the ground. Add your findings to the same pot an after a few months, see how much you have collected. If you're strapped for cash, spend your findings on a nice meal for your family. If you are fairly stable financially, donate the money (anonymously) to a good cause.

Yes, You Can

    Remove the word can't from your vocabulary and think about what is actually holding you back- fear, reluctance, pride? Once you stop talking yourself out of taking a risk or making a difficult decision, life will open up for you and so will your mind.

    Do something nice and helpful without being asked. Take out the trash, clean the house, and visit a relative. Once you make a habit of these tasks, you won't need reminding since you will want to do them as you go about your usual day.

Be a Compassionate Clipper

    Leave extra coupons on the shelf next to the item they are for. Easy peasy!

Share Your Toys

    Leave small, handmade toys for people to find. The Toy Society spreads love by doing this good deed. Visit thetoysociety.blogspot.com for more information and inspiration. You can post your toy drop on the website and view the drops that others have made. Feel free to share a picture and revel in the thought of bringing a child happiness, especially with the pandemic- it might also be a good idea to leave a note on the toy that lets people know they can take it. For example: “Take me home- I’m Yours!” If you'd like, write that the toy has gone through its two weeks of quarantine and leave a small thing of hand sanitizer with it.

You Have the Power

    Anonymously grant a wish on someone's Amazon wish list. How simple is that? And how sweet is that?

Let Kids Be Kids

    Finding out that handmade rugs are often made by mere children was so shocking to me- couldn't imagine what those youngsters have to go through every day. The organization GoodWeave (goodweave.org) was started in 1994 to stop child labor in the rug industry. To help their efforts, check for a GoodWeave's label on the rugs you purchase and donate to their One in a Million campaign. GoodWeave's work has reduced the numbers of children toiling in rug factories, and with your help, they can help end child labor in the world.

National Endangered Species Day

    Did you know monarch butterflies are at risk of becoming extinct? Protect wildlife and endangered animals. Join a preservation group or animal sanctuary to help keep our habitats and animals safe. More than 800 animals have gone extinct over the last 500 or so years, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources' Red List- generally considered to be the most comprehensive of its kind. Our diversity is what makes Earth so special and we must do all we can to preserve it.

Penning the Positive

    Write a message of positivity on a decorated postcard and send it to postsecrew.com. There, you can also view postcards that others have sent in: Affirmations, love notes, and written acts of kindness truly have the power to lift the human spirit.

Let's Make It a Complaint-Free World

    Go one day without complaining. Even better, go a week. If this is hard for you to accomplish, it's time to make some changes in your life. Think positively, live in the present, and appreciate where you are and who you are. Today is a gift, so accept and embrace it.

    Author Mark Bowen wrote a fantastic book on this very topic that I turn to when I need a reminder, as we all do now and again. My copy came with a bracelet, a simple way to monitor how often you complain that helps you track your progress toward becoming "complaint-free." Put on the bracelet and every time you complain, switch it to the other wrist. The goal is to go 21 consecutive days without switching the bracelet. It is harder than you might think and I was a bit shocked at what a complainer I turned out to be. It was a really good exercise for me- I highly recommend it, I benefited enormously and I suspect those around me did, too!

A Laugh a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

    As the legendary Charlie Chaplin said, "A day without laughter is a day wasted."

    Laughter and good humor are infectious. Sharing a funny story or memory with others helps increase happiness and intimacy between friends, acquaintances, and loved ones. According to help guide.org, laughter triggers happiness and can strengthen the immune system, boost energy, relieve physical and emotional pain, and battle the effects of stress. Today is a great day! Let yourself enjoy it.

Making Sure She Has a Night to Remember

    Did you know that many teen girls long to attend their high school prom, but end up missing out on the tradition simply because a fancy dress is not in the family budget? Help these girls out by visiting glassslipperproject.org.

    Donate your old prom dress and shoes to the delightful folks at the Glass Slipper Project, a nonprofit organization that gives free prom dresses, shoes, and accessories to high school juniors and seniors. Generosity can be very glamorous!

Games That Give

    Even online games can be philanthropic- try out Games That Give, at gamesthatgive.net/play. This website donates approximately 70% of their advertising revenue to charitable causes. Everyone wins here.

The Keys to Kindness

 If you are like me, you can end up with so many old keys you end up looking like a janitor! Find out how you can unlock some goodness with keysforkindness.com. Donate your old keys to help fight Multiple Sclerosis. 

Lit Love

    Very child should learn to expand their mind through the wide world of literature. The fine folks at Books for Kids (booksforkids.org) have a love of reading and helped disadvantaged families collect libraries at home. You can make that happen, one kid and one book at a time. Pick out some of your favorites that you loved as a child and get in on the fun.

A Very Very Very Fine House

    Volunteer to help build a house together though Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org), a nonprofit organization that builds and repairs houses so that families have a safe and affordable place to live. Maybe you'll even even get to meet former President Jimmy Carter and you can hammer up a front porch and discuss world peace together.

Ask "How Are You?" and Mean It!

    Ask someone how their day is going and start a conversation. Sometimes people want to talk more than they let on and your interest will show them you care. One day, you'll get the chance to tell some kind-hearted person exactly how you are. Your answer to the question might not always be pretty, but it will feel wonderful to be heard.

Love Your Mother

    Mother's Day may be over, but it's never too late to keep celebrating. Make your mother feel special and loved by taking her out to lunch or a masked-up mani/pedi. For your friends who may have lost their mother, check in with them as it may have have been a hard day two days ago. Mother's Day is all about love, so spread it around far and wide going forward.

Mother Ocean Day

    Look into volunteering to clean up your local beach. With pollution in our water and in the sand, help make these local hot spots safer for future visitors to the beach and the environment! If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, check out All One Ocean to see when you can help: alloneocean.org/community-meeting-beach-clean-up. 

Do the Thing You think You Cannot Do

    My friend Clare Cooley practices this courageous philosophy and now teaches others how to "Imagine a Day." Clare is probably the ultimate autodidact; she had to drop out of school pretty early to take care of family members. This has not stopped her form learning and doing anything she sets her mind to, from design, filmmaking, and painting to crafting, writing, and music. One of Clare's most spectacular gifts is her show-stopping skate dancing and there are many YouTube videos that strangers have taped and uploaded of her whirling and twirling. Clare, who chose to not allow economic difficulties and a lack of formal education prevent her from succeeding in life, has gone on to show her ceramics and naturalist paintings in museums and galleries around the country. She says, "Lack of imagination is the only limitation and fear creates self-doubt." In her teaching, she helps people get out of "fear mode" and unlock the power of imagination. You can see her beautiful artwork at clarecooley.com.

    I urge you to Imagine a Day- pick something you always wanted to do, but were afraid to try. After over a year of quarantine and restrictions, it's almost time to start that Day. Painting, French cookery, playing piano, singing, learning a foreign language, yoga, rock-climbing, balloon dancing, pottery, snorkeling- something that speaks to you on a profound level but scares you just a little. Find a class or barter with someone who is an pet to whom you can teach something, and dive right in. Remember to wear a mask and go live your Imagine a Day!

Moving and Grooving

    Moving? Use clean sheets, pillowcases, and towels to pack breakable items dishes and framed artwork. The soft material will help cushion your breakables, reducing or eliminating the need for bubble wrap. As an added bonus, linens and kitchen items are usually among the first things you'll need to unpack at your new place, so using one to help pack the other means you'll find everything you need in one box. Clever, eh?

List Your Life

    Instead of writing up and crossing things off of a bucket list, create a "life list." Let your hopes, dreams, fears, and thoughts spill out of you and into this list. Next to each entry, write down how that emotion or fear makes you feel- does it hold you back or empower you? This task will put you on the road to self-discovery. Knowing who you are is important in order to have relationships with others. Know thyself.

For Services Rendered

    Send a letter to someone in local law enforcement, the Coast Guard, or serving overseas that gives thanks for their hard work and dedication to our country. It's simple and will be greatly appreciated. Go to LetsSayThanks.com for inspiration.

Stories Are Not Just for Bedtime

    Read a child a story. Introducing children to the world of books while they're young will help boost their imagination and intelligence (and will also strengthen your bond). Whether you are babysitting, reading to your own child, or volunteering at a library or hospital, this deed goes a long way.

National Lemonade Day

    

Businesses are opening up again, even the ones in our own neighborhood. But instead of driving past yet another lemonade stand, help the kid by pulling over and buying a cup on a hot day. The kids will feel a sense of accomplishment as more people follow your example. Model good behavior whenever you can and it will return to you in spades.

Unplug (and Recharge!)

    Forego using technological devices today. Texting your friends, watching your favorite show, and checking your email- all can wait until tomorrow! Turn off your devices and turn on your senses! Reading a book, cook a meal, and enjoy the outdoors by taking a walk or tending to your garden. Technology distracts us from the real world, occupying our attention with game applications, chat rooms, social media websites, commercials, and so on. Want to know what's going on in the news? Read a newspaper. Be aware of the here and now by finding activities that don't require electricity or a battery. Make your own entertainment!

True Love Does Not Require a Diamond

    Precious gems and metals leave a horrific trail of pollution and human rights abuses. Not much more needs to be said about this one without getting into some seriously depressing territory, but we cannot discuss jewelry without acknowledging that many people pay a steep price in order to mine, produce, and export all those shiny little rocks we coyly call "a girl's best friend." There are so many ways to show your love and no suffering should be involved. Ever

Plant Flowers in Abandoned Lots

    May Day was a sacred celebration of Spring in ancient times and remains a special day for common folk. I have attended several marvelous festivities complete with garlanded Maypoles; one held by Z Budapest is a treasured memory. I have my own tradition for this merry month, which is a really simple and easy way to celebrate spring: I plant flower seeds in neglected plots of land all around the Bay Area, particularly nasturtiums, which thrive on neglect and can bloom anywhere and under any circumstances. I could give a driving tour of San Francisco and the East Bay and show you the brightly colored patches that are the result of my Johnny Appleseed-style scattershot approach. You can even eat them! I always have a lot of nasturtiums growing in my garden and I collect the seeds once they have flowered in plastic baggies. I joke to my friends that I would like my legacy to be that I was "Fiesta Brenda," the name of a mix that yields a riot of color that can turn any former parking lot or weed patch into a pocket of red, yellow, and orange sunshine. I will add that some of my tenth-generation crop mutated into a lovely variegated leaf, which only adds to the glory. This bit of freeganomics feeds my should like almost nothing else. I would say it is a sensible act of beauty.