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.