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.
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.
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
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.
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.
If you are anything like me, this is the time of year you suddenly realize you don’t have enough flutes and glasses to properly toast in the New Year. Why add to the already burgeoning mounds of recycling or, God forbid, landfill? The cool company Refresh Glass (refreshglass.com) creates pretty and eco-efficient drinking glasses from rescued wine bottles.
Cheers!
For some people, health, time, and logistical restraints mean donating blood isn’t possible. But
blood donation isn’t the only way to support organizations like the Red Cross. Along with
financial donations, the Red Cross also accepts airline miles and credit card rewards. Easily
transferable from your computer, these sorts of donations don’t cost you anything but can still
make a difference.
Pay attention to the body language of others around you. If you notice someone with droopy posture or a frown, offer assistance if they need it. That someone could be having a bad day, and one person noticing could make a big difference.
Jollytologist Allen Klein shares this beautiful story:
When I was a hospice volunteer, one of the patients I was assigned to look after was an elderly woman who loved classical music. For many years, she, her son, and her daughter had season symphony tickets. But she was way too ill to use them now. Her prognosis was only a few weeks left to live.
I discussed the situation with the hospice team and how we might get her to a concert. Perhaps we could put her in a wheelchair or even on a gurney and have her at the back of the theater. But in her condition, we realized that that would not work.
Then I had an idea. I called the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, one of the leading schools in the country, and asked if they had a student who might volunteer to play something for a dying woman. A few days later, they sent over a very talented young woman, a violinist, who gave a private performance for the patient and her family.
I wasn’t at the apartment at the time but from what the daughter told me the next day, it was glorious. She said that after the intimate living room recital, her mother told her, “In all my years of going to the symphony, that was the best concert I have ever attended.”
Warm Up America (warmupamerica.org) works with community service organizations and the American Red Cross to distribute warm, handmade blankets to a local organization (or a local chapter of a national organization) near where they live or work. My family collects old blankets and my mom’s best friend is a master quilter who can make a gorgeous patchwork blanket that would keep anyone quite cozy for years to come. Staying warm can be a beautiful thing!
Holding the elevator: a simple yet kind idea. If you are inside an elevator and see someone
approaching as the doors close, hold the doors open to let them in. You might make a nice
connection and the person will appreciate this gesture. Rack up those karma points.
Use Goodsearch.com to search the Internet, play games, or answer survey questions. This for-
profit company donates a portion of all advertising revenue to charity (50% of revenue or one
cent for each search).
Rescue a wallflower. Most people know what it’s like to go to a party and end up standing by yourself. If you see someone alone, mosey on over to them and strike up a conversation. Nine times out of ten, they will have the most interesting things to say out of anybody at the party or dance.
You know how certain memories sometimes remain crystal clear as though they are trapped in the amber of your consciousness?. While I don’t know nearly enough about how the brain works, I suspect these shards of memory that stay with us are some of the most important events of our lives to be pondered upon for all that they contain. They might be teachable moments for us to draw upon. While the neuroscience aspects allude me, I do know this memory is a life lesson:
My besties and I like to have a cup of tea now and again, the fancy kind with tea cakes, cupcakes, and cookies that are almost too beautiful to eat. During my decade in the Lower Haight, my dear friends and I got together once a month, taking turns at each other’s houses. I was excited to be hosting one lovely spring day and planned everything to the tee-lemon bars with lime icing, mini cupcakes with icing that looked like lace, and my favorite black and white cookies, chocolate on one side, vanilla on the other. I even had brightly colored paper napkins with sassy wild women quotes on them.
I was working in Berkeley and living in San Francisco, which meant that just getting across the Bay Bridge was going to be an adventure. On this day, it was going to be a miracle. I was terrified my friends would be standing at the front door, stamping their nicely shod feet, waiting for me as I navigated the traffic. I surrendered to it, knowing my anxiety would not change a thing. Plus, I had my secret weapon-the nicest array of confections ever. How could they be mad at me when they were being served stunningly beautiful cookies on napkins that reminded them they are fabulous?
Finally, my lane of traffic oozed off the Fremont exit into downtown San Francisco. I was going to bust one of my special moves and drive down a one-way arterial to avoid the clogged streets. To do that, I had to drive past the Transbay Terminal, one of the most desolate and derelict spots in all the greater bay Area. I was chugging along and feeling good about my bag of goodies, when I was stopped again by a Muni bus that appeared to be lumbering along at maybe three miles per hour. But I still had my special treats and my confidence remained intact.
I looked to my left and a mother and her toddler were standing on the raised median about two feet away from my car. She looked to be not much older than a teenager herself, and had a big bruise on her cheek and a frightened look. Her little boy was hugging her knee, trying to stay warm in the arctic wind that blasts San Francisco as soon as the sun sets. I smiled at them and she smiled back, and I saw then that she was missing at least one tooth. In this moment, I just knew she had run away from an abusive home and was getting herself and her son to safety. I also knew in that moment that they needed money. I scrambled around in my messy purse but could only find a five-dollar bill, as I had spent all my cash on the sweets. I grabbed the pretty paper bag filled with boxes of delicacies and shoved it into her hands along with the wadded up bill. The look on her face was what will stay with me a lifetime. She was surprised, and the stress drained out of her face and I could see how pretty she was. The bus shot forward and I had to drive away but I managed to shout back at her, “These are the best cookies in the world, so everything is going to be okay!” I looked in the rearview mirror and saw her bend down. She opened a box and lovingly fed her little boy one of my treasured black and whites. They were laughing and her son was even dancing around. My heart lifted as I drove away. I was especially pleased that this young woman was going to be reminded about her fabulousness by sassy paper napkins.
My girlfriends and I microwaved popcorn that night but nobody minded. We also ended up having a much deeper and richer discussion about real things, no shop or shopping talk, no boyfriend problems. We talked about how lucky we were and ways we could give back to the world.
It is funny how I knew those cookies were going to save the night. I guess I just didn’t know whose.
Some eco-smart Canadians created a completely cool substitute for plastic wrap called Abeego.
This hemp and cotton fabric is infused with a blend of beeswax, resion, and jojoba oil. It’s
flexible and able to stick to itself, and can seal bowls and wrap cheese, sandwiches, and
snacks. It even looks good! Check it out for yourself at abeego.com.
Buy a pair of Toms shoes. They are a one-for-one organization that donates a new pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair of Toms purchased. Visit toms.com to learn more about the cause and view the various styles. I like the shiny, glittery Toms!
Make a sign that reads, “Take what you need,” with tear-off tabs on the bottom that say, “love,” “courage,” “optimism,” and so on. Hang it up in places you regularly pass by. Keep refills at the ready!
Overcoming wilderness obstacles-rushing rivers, steep hills, avoiding wild animals-builds confidence and helps under-resourced kids better handle inner-city obstacles. All of this is why Big City Mountaineers pairs adults with disadvantaged youths on weeklong backpacking and canoeing trips. If you don’t live in the regions where the organization primarily operates (Northwest, West and Midwest), check out Summit for Someone, a program that makes walk-a-thons look restful; participants fundraise for Big City Mountaineers by soliciting sponsorship for major climbing trips.
