Be More Thoughtful

You know your coworker works really hard and can come in a bit bedraggled at the end of an arduous week. Why not walk up to her, say, “Good Morning!,” and hand her a vitamin-rich protein smoothie or fresh hand-pressed juice?

Mindful Memo

Write a note of gratitude to the people in your everyday life who make a difference-the mailman, a grocery clerk, or the greeter at the mall. Tell your friends about their great service so their businesses can grow. Just by paying attention to those who can so easily go unnoticed (especially if your smartphone is glued to your hand), you can enrich each other’s lives a little each day.

Save Somebody’s Life in just One Second

If you have a driver’s license, choose “yes” when you’re asked to become an organ donor.

Catch People Doing Something Right (and Make Sure They Know It)

During difficult transitions, our natural tendency is often to resist change and grow rigid. In this state, we

seem to only be able to focus on the negatives. We think about the despair that follows the death of a loved

one, but not the wonderful moments spent together. We think of the heartbreak of a relationship ending,

but not the exhilaration and freedom of being unattached. We might even scold our loved ones, or our

friends, or coworkers for something minor when we ourselves wallow in similar negativity. But it is in

these moments that gratitude can be used to alter this way of thinking.

Finding positives and accentuating them is the easiest way to turn those proverbial frowns upside down

and gray skies back to blue. Try catching someone doing something right for a change, not something

wrong. Giving praise for a job well done will lift all parties involved.

Agree to Disagree

Respect the choice of others. We may not always agree with our loved ones, but increase peace by 

respecting their decisions and being there for them regardless. If everyone thought alike, think how boring

 it would be. Our differences enrich our lives, and all the more so when handled respectfully.

Click to Give

https://greatergood.com/

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.

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 and 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.

Let Kids Be Kids

https://goodweave.org/

Finding out that handmade rugs are often made by mere children was so shocking to me- I 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 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 today.

Penning the Positive

Write a message of positivity on a decorated postcard and send it in to postsecret.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.

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 ay keysforkindness.com. Donate your old keys to help fight Multiple Sclerosis.

A Very Very Very Fine House

Volunteer to help build a house through Habitat for Humanity (habitat.org), a nonprofit organization that builds and repairs houses so that families have a safe and affordable plave to live. 

Moving and Grooving

Moving? Use clean sheets, pillowcases, and towels to pack breakable items like 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?

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.

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.

Just Say No to GMO

Buy organic heritage seedlings whenever you can. Most fruits and vegetables have an incredibly diverse range of varieties, but we typically only see one or two different kinds in the grocery store. By choosing to grow heritage plants we can preserve that diversity and give a big green thumbs down to monoculture. 

Making the Most of a Rainy Day

Get a rain barrel:

*Install the rain barrel at least six feet from your house. Locating it near an area you’ll be watering the most makes for convenient use later

*Ensure that your rain barrel has an overflow at least as large as your inflow-for example, if you have rigged it so that water is collected directly from your eaves’ trough downspout, your overflow valve should be as large as your downspout as well. This will allow your rain barrel to get rid of excess water as fast as it collects it, which might be necessary if you live in a city with crazy, unpredictable weather like my brother does.

*If you are using the rain barrel to water your garden, consider using a soaker hose. You can attach the hose to the rain barrel and then run it through your garden so that it covers the area you’d like. Now, every time you see a rain cloud, you’ll get really excited!

Breathe Easier

Having plants around is great for where you live and where you work. Not only are they lovely to look at, they improve the air you breathe! The following air-purifying plants look great, produce oxygen, and can even absorb contaminants like formaldehyde and benzene (commonly off- gassed from furniture and mattresses). The best part? Nary an electrical cord, nor a battery in sight. Ahhhh.

*Spider plant

*Peace lily

*Snake plant

*Elephant ear

*Weeping fig

*Rubber plant

*Bamboo palm

Roll Out the Welcome Wagon

Greet your new neighbors with a homemade housewarming gift. You’ll make a new connection and help them feel more at home. Good neighbors can last a lifetime and bring a real sense of community on a daily basis.

Support Farm-to-School Projects

By teaching kids exactly where their food comes from, they will grow up to make informed grocery choices and strengthen their local economies. Start a farm-to-school project in your school district; all the know how is at farmtoschool.org

Make Beautiful Music

If you’re a musician living in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Nashville, or Miami, you can volunteer through the nonprofit Musicians on Call (musiciansoncall.org) to deliver live, in-room performances to patients undergoing treatment or unable to leave their beds. Add a dose of joy to a healthcare facility by bringing the healing power of music to people who need it.

No Foolin’

I don’t know the history of April Fool’s Day trickster antics but they always make me cringe. I suggest a “reverse prank” instead, where you do something really nice.  Heard through the Random Acts of Kindness network about a good deeder buying lottery tickets, adding a sweet little note, and placing them onto a car door where they could not be missed. Can you imagine if you were the recipient of this delightful act and won the big Scratch Off for a cool million or so?

Have fun and bring some joy into this early spring day. It may be April Fool’s Day but don’t fool yourself! Today is about laughter rather than pulling pranks on others. Tell your coworkers a joke you enjoy; find a way to make someone who looks unhappy put a smile on their face.

Make Up Your Own Holiday

Invent a special holiday to celebrate someone you love-be it your spouse, your dog, or your closest friend. On this day, make them a special dinner, take them out, and write them a letter saying how you feel about them. You can even create a fun holiday to share with your family so everyone can participate.

The Best Kind of Social Networking

Help the elderly with their devices. Many senior citizens aren’t tech-savvy, but given that we live

in a technologically advancing society, learning how to use a computer or the Internet can be

very helpful. Volunteer your assistance to a senior who has a cell phone or computer and needs

help using it. Be email buddies with your new friends, too!

Be a Good in Your Hood

Pick up and recycle or compost loose garbage as you walk. Sidewalks are meant for safe walking, not weaving through someone else’s abandoned bottles and crumpled up take-out bags. Take pride in the area you live and help contribute to keeping it clean and safe. One person helping can inspire many others to do the same. I vowed to do this 15 years ago while living in the Lower Haight in San Francisco. By the end of each week, I usually had a big bag to take to the HANC recycling Center. In the last couple of years, I have gotten some puzzled glances and even laughter when I am dressed up for a meeting while walking down the street and picking up garbage, empty bottles, and what-have-you. I will occasionally say, “This is my service to the earth. Recycling is my religion.” And it is. I have the planet’s back!

Use Your Words

I read all the time as a child, and by that I mean every minute I wasn’t at school, doing chores or

homework, or sleeping, I had the cover of a book open. I developed a love of language that has

lasted me a lifetime.I notice that it brings joy to others when they hear an interesting or pretty

word. So try flipping through a dictionary every day and pick a word. Use this word at least once

in the same day. This will help expand your vocabulary and communicate better with others. If

you have a smartphone, download a free word-of-the-day app instead of using a dictionary.

Help feed a child by adding a definition to the Online Dictionary on definition-of.com.

Cloth Napkins Are Nicer Anyway

On average, an American uses around six napkins each day-2,200 a year! If every American

used even one less napkin per day, more than one billion pounds of napkins could be saved

from landfills each year. Using cloth napkins can be even better!

Don’t Be Judgemental; Be Kind Just because You Can

“Contagious Optimist” Colleen Georges taught me this: It’s easy to judge others for their actions

and take for granted those we love or meet in chance encounters. We sometimes get so caught

up in our busy-ness that we forget others are busy too, they have rough days just like us, and

they benefit from our kindness just as we do theirs. Go out of your way to smile at strangers,

say good morning, say thank you, give a compliment, and listen attentively to someone who

needs your ear. Do it because you can, because it feels great, because it makes someone else

feel good. Don’t worry about a subsequent thank you; let a thank you be a beautiful perk,

rather than an expectation.

Please, Mr.Postman

Look into a pen pal. Writing to someone in a foreign land-whether it be a soldier, a fellow

student, or a long-lost relative-can really help you gain perspective and will do the same for the

person you are writing to. Check out this website for more details on how to find a pen pal:

penpalworld.com. Letter writing is more meaningful than an email or text-this beautifully old-

fashioned tradition will bring lasting enjoyment to you and your pal.

Live Your Values

When we are on track, living close to the things we deem important-the things we value-we feel

happier. This isn’t flash happiness, it isn’t the kind that lasts for a few minutes when we get a

new toy, or enjoy a concert. This is the kind that lingers in the background of our lives. The kind

that even in moments of sadness or frustration, never completely disappears, because if we are

living a values based-life we are also living with meaning and purpose.

-Polly Campbell

Detox Your Diet

Buy grass-fed, hormone-free,organic, and free-range meat, dairy and eggs. Many grocery

stores now have organic sections with produce that doesn’t contain chemical fertilizers,

pesticides, or herbicides. These choices are better for you and the earth because no chemicals

go into the soil or water. These items cost a little more but for the sake of your health-and taste

buds!- it’s worth the price. Human-made pesticides and fertilizers require energy and resources

to be manufactured and distributed; they also pollute the air, soil, and water, and have been

shown to be carcinogenic (cancer-causing) in many cases. Vegetables that are grown

organically require less fossil-fuel energy to be grown, pollute less, and are far less likely to

cause any health issues. Prevention Magazine (prevention.com) offers lots of good information

about food safety and what to avoid. Healthier is also happier!

Be Ripsniptious!

Author Art Plotnik helped revive this word in his book Better Than Great: A Plenitudinous

Compendium of Wallopingly Fresh Superlatives. Simply put, “ripsniptious” (rip-snip-shuss) can

be used to express something or someone that is wonderful and highly spirited. Today, you will

be ripsniptious and notice all of the other ripsniptious things around you. Let this be your word of

the day and let it embody you-and introduce others to ripsniptious of the word ripsniptious! It’s

fun to say, isn’t it? It’s even better to be it. It is also a wonderful compliment and I think you are

pretty darn ripsniptious for reading this book!

Planet-Positive and Paperless

Try paying bills online. By some estimates, if all households in the US paid their bills online and

received electronic statements instead of paper, we’d save 18.5 million trees every year, 2.3

billion tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and 1.7 billion pounds of solid waste

(50waystohelp.org)

Conscious Kindness

When I lived in the Panhandle District, I would occasionally wonder to myself from whence the name came from. It is actually a skinny strip of land at the end of San Francisco’s spectacular Golden Gate Park, like a handle on a skillet or big pan. But with so many down and out, there is a good bit of panhandling. In fact, it sometimes seems overwhelming, especially when, on any given day I might be asked for money over a dozen times. I noticed that after 9/11, it became especially grim, as there was a scary economic downturn that accompanied all the other chaos. So I developed a system of my own:I always keep change in the little pocket of my driver’s side door handle. And I prioritize giving it to moms with kids, children, and amputees-anyone who really seems in need of help right now. When I’ve been driving an author around on tour or out- of-town visitors, they have been startled when I mutter, “Oh, an amputee; let me see what I have on me.” I explain my seeming rudeness by explaining that this is my personalized system for giving to panhandlers, and that I was almost an amputee. A few years back, I was hit and run by a drunk driver, which terribly injured my leg. My doctor suggested amputating-but I managed to talk him out of that idea. I had to learn to walk again. It took a looong time and caused a lot of pain. So I always think, “That could have been me!” and I want to help. Many a vet who served their country come back without a limb. This really is the least I can do and wanting to do more is one of the reasons behind this book.

360 Degrees of Giving

https://feedprojects.com/

My favorite kinds of gifts are the ones that keep on giving. The FEED Project has many cool

options that are made in America and crafted with love and pride. A beautifully carved cutting

board for your best friend’s birthday from FeedProjects.com will not only impress them but help

feed the hungry. I love their FEED bags, which are a handy way to ditch the plastic and the

paper, too.

Thank-You Power

Upon learning about the Veteran’s History Project, I was reminded that our servicemen and -

women are doing just that: service. And they should be thanked for it. Many of these noble souls

are very far away on active duty and receive little mail to their camp or barrack. Take a few

moments to acknowledge their contribution and offer a friendly hello back home in the USA. You

can learn all about Operation Write Home at operationwritehome.gov. I have heard of great pen

pal relationships that result from this gesture of gratitude.

Give Away Your Old Stuff

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: we all have too much stuff. Do a favor for people in need

and give away some of the things you no longer use or wear. Others would be happy to have

them and you will simplify your life and enjoy your time more. Find a few locations that you can

drop off your stuff or call an organization that collects goods to redistribute to those in need.

There are Goodwills and Salvation Army centers in every town, large or small, so you can

donate to help others.

Only Connect

Be a mentor to someone. Everyone needs help to achieve their dreams and goals in life.

Mentorship is an excellent way of providing needed help, encouragement, and guidance. Look

for opportunities to mentor people at virtuefirst.org/virtues/service.

Share Your Skills

Teach someone a craft or skill you are good at. Sharing your talent with someone else may

allow them to discover their own potential. Whether it’s cooking, archery, or photography, spend

some time doing what you love with another. Teaching people how to do something new will

help you maintain your interest and establish a connection with the person you are with. No

doubt you will learn just as much from being a teacher.

What the World Needs Now

Tell someone close to you how much you love them, even if you’re sure they already know.

Love Lifts You Up

If you have frequent flier miles you are not planning to use, give them to service members who

have been injured in the line of duty and need to be flown to proper medical treatment. This can

also enable family members to visit them. Check out fisherhouse.org to discover all you need to

know about Fisher House Foundation’s Hero Miles Program. Love has an enormous power to

heal, so sharing your unused miles stretches your love a mighty long way!

Lend an Ear

Counselors can contribute enormously to our troops when they return from their service term. I

honestly think my ex-Marine dad had PTSD. Post-traumatic stress was not even acknowledged

until long after the Vietnam War, and only through the hard work of many activists. Therapists

and mental health professionals can really help our military veterans by volunteering their own

services through the organization Give an Hour (giveanhour.org) and this is extremely helpful to

families of vets. Listening can change lives for the better in a big way.

Karma On Wheels

Slow down and let other drivers merge and go ahead of you. Allow every pedestrian to amble

across the street, the slower the better. Is that extra five minutes of driving time going to ruin

your life? No, but being a patient, safe, and nice driver will make the ride all the more pleasant

and will send a ray of goodness in your wake.

Look Up!

Put down your smartphone and make eye contact, person to person. Nowadays, I consider that

a major act of kindness and courtesy, as well.

Veg Out

Have you heard of “food desserts”? I certainly never did until reading last year in The New York Times about entire swaths of urban areas with nothing but corner stores filled with processed, packaged foods and no produce whatsoever. I started paying attention and it is true. There is something you can do about it. By making a donation to WholesomeWave.org, they will provide fresh fruits and veggies to those underserved communities. How great is that? Actually, it is even better,as Wholesome Wave obtains their organic produce from small and mid-sized farmers.

Be a Good on Your Own Block

Make a list of small things you can do around your house and place of work to conserve energy

and water, stop waste, and increase the recycling. Then start doing them!

Operation Gratitude

I learned about this from my mom, whose church regularly sends cards, letters, and care

packages overseas to the armed forces. My mom and her fellow church ladies bake some of the

best cookies in the world, so they gather up all kinds of goodies and treats and send them

overseas where the taste of down home surely brings many smiles of satisfaction. Those who

are less gifted in the baking department (such as me!) can make a $15 donation to Operation

Gratitude, which pays for one care package for one serviceperson. Operation Gratitude 

(operationgratitude.com) has sent over a million of these kindness kits around the world!

Scatter Joy All Around

Think about how you can create little moments of happiness for others. Help a friend plant her

garden, buy an extra coffee for a coworker, pay the toll for the car behind you on the bridge, and

even take your kids to a movie. All those little things can add up to big joy.

Do YOU

This is your life! Only you can truly control your choices. Choosing happiness is the best way to achieve being good to yourself as well as the world. Here are some suggestions for how you can ensure simple joy in your life:

*Be the best you can be by your own standards

*Surround yourself with people who inspire you and make you feel good

*Focus on what you have,not what you lack

*Optimism trumps pessimism every time!

*Smile often and genuinely

*Be honest, to yourself and others

*Help others

*Embrace your past,live in the present, and look forward for what is yet to come

Just Say Hello!

Try something new this year and check out the Just Say Hello campaign on Oprah’s website. The campaign (find it at oprah.com/health/Just-Say-Hello-How-to-Participate) encourages kindness and strives to combat loneliness by reading and connecting. A howdy-do to a stranger might make your day and a new pal in the process. I read about this excellent friendliness project in Oprah’s O Magazine a few Sundays ago and immediately felt inspired to try it that day. My boyfriend and I went to do our weekend chores, which include buying fresh flowers from our neighborhood stand. An older gentleman was standing there smelling the roses, always a good idea in my mind. I remembered to say “Hi” as instructed by Oprah and he responded with a big smile and asked for my input on flowers for a lady friend. As you might imagine, quite a conversation ensued, and my boyfriend, who is even friendlier than I am, joined in. Soon the florist was involved and our new gentleman friend turned out to be a fascinating conversationalist. He had been a fighter pilot in the Korean War, very highly decorated, and had traveled all over the world before returning home to El Cerrito. Widowed some years back, he was only beginning to get back out there and date. After landing upon a carefully selected bouquet of red roses and pink lilies, he headed off to the dance at the senior center. I noticed he had a good bit of pep in his step and I remember having a good feeling about his first date. We kept our eyes peeled for Colonel Jarvis when in the vicinity of the flower shop, and sure enough, the next time we saw him he had pictures of his lady friend from the dance featuring a corsage he had gotten for her. Things were looking pretty swell all around and he looked pleased as punch.

So, thanks, Oprah, for another great idea!

Resolve to Be a Force for Good in This World

New Year’s Day. Did you make a New Year’s resolution for this year? Throw that word resolution out the window, It’s not strong enough to hold people to their goals—or at least that is true for me and everyone I know! If you want to eat healthier, spend more time with your family, or finally volunteer at your church’s soup kitchen, go ahead and make these things happen. Tell people about your mission and maybe they will join forces with you. I had so much fun at Glide Memorial Church serving lunch that my friends asked to come along with me! Or, if you want to jump-start your New Year’s with a major act of kindness, head on down to LA for the New Year’s Race for A Place Called Home (apch.org). They are a safe haven in South Central Los Angeles where underserved youth are empowered to take ownership of the quality and direction of their lives through programs in education, arts, and well-being. These young people are inspired to make a meaningful difference in their community and world.