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!
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.
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.
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.
Every 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.
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 from 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. Painting, French cookery, playing piano, singing, learning a foreign language, yoga, rock- climbing, ballroom 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 expert to whom you can teach something, and dive right in.
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
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.
Learn a new language. Or become more fluent in your less dominant language if you are already multilingual. The more people you can communicate with, the more you’ll make yourself available for work opportunities. Learning other languages will also open you up to new people and cultures. A friend of mine recently took a volunteer vacation where he taught English to orphans and abandoned children in Liberia. He said he enjoyed every minute and wants to do this every year, as he loved working with the kids. As he told me this story, his smile was at least a mile wide!
I learned from my globetrotting friend Santosh that one of the nicest things a traveler can do is to learn how to say the basics in the language of the locals. He stressed that saying “thank you” is the most important phrase of all. His guide to global gratitude is below:
Arabic: Shukran
Czech: Dekuji
Danish: Tak
Dutch: Dank u
Estonian:Tanan teid
Filipino: Salamat
Finnish: Kiitos
French: Merci
German: Danke
Hungarian: Koszonom
Indonesian: Terima kasih
Irish: Go raibh maith agat
Italian: Grazie
Japanese: Arigato
Latvian: Paldies
Norwegian: Takk
Polish: Dziekuje
Portuguese: Obrigado
Romanian: Multumesc
Spanish: Gracias
Swahili: Asante
Swedish: Tack
Vietnamese: Cam o’n ban
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr
I (re)learned this truly vital lesson from Imperfect Spirituality author and blogger Polly Campbell:
Once today, say “yes” to something unexpected that comes into your life.
Know that you are enough to handle whatever emergencies from the yes. Know that you have the whole Universe supporting you. Believe that you will have a good time and learn something that you need to know. Exercise your faith by taking the Universe up on the good things that come your way and practice your optimism by believing that there is more to come.
Just. Say. Yes. Then take two minutes to reflect and answer these questions for yourself:
*What did you say “yes” to today?
*Were you inclined to first say “no”? Why?
*How did you feel when you said “yes”?
*What did you learn about yourself by saying “yes” to do this thing?
*What do you know now that you didn’t know before you took the leap?
An attitude of gratitude can make a profound difference in our day-to-day lives. Yet, as we all come to know, not every day is filled with good things. We each endure difficult passages: illnesses, money trouble, work woes, relationship issues, the loss of a loved one, and countless others. These are the vicissitudes of life. However, it is the attitude you bring to each situation that makes all the difference. Share what you learned from others during these life lessons and offer help to a fellow traveler who is walking a hard path.
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 from 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. Painting, French cookery, playing piano, singing, learning a foreign language, yoga, rock- climbing, ballroom 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 expert to whom you can teach something, and dive right in.
What follows is pretty much the best example of this I have ever heard (and deepest thanks to Polly Campbell for this astounding testament to the human spirit).
When Rhonda Sciortino was six months old, her mother left her at a neighbors house and never returned. She was taken in by her grandfather, a mentally ill, depressed man who parented her through abuse and neglect, and her grandmother, an alcoholic who ultimately drank herself to death. Life was filled with hunger, struggle, and pain. “I lived in a very dark place,” Rhonda said. “Literally the house was dark, there were often no lights because the electric bill hadn’t been paid. It was a filthy, oppressive place.”
When she was about six years old, Rhonda was temporarily placed with a foster family who introduced her to the lighter side of life. “They lived in a clean place. There was plenty of food, they didn’t fight with each other-I remember watching them interact with one another as though they really enjoyed being together,” Rhonda, who is now 50, said. One day the man in the foster home encouraged her to search for the meaning of her own life. “Young lady,” he said, “you better quit feeling sorry for yourself. You were put here for a reason, and you better be about finding out what it is.” The family also took her to a Christian church, where Rhonda said, “meeting Jesus was a turning point.”
Although she was ultimately placed back into the abusive home environment, Rhonda never forgot those people, their influence, or the role of Jesus Christ in her life. She believed that there was something more for her, something better.. She discovered just what that was, when as an insurance professional, she received a thank-you note from the CEO of a children’s home. She had helped the facility keep operating by saving it thousands of dollars in insurance premiums. For Rhonda, that thank-you note was infused with meaning. She quit her job, started her own insurance agency, founded solely to help the people and organizations that help children. Today, she continues that work in her dream job as the National Child Welfare Specialist for Markel Insurance Company.
She lives with her husband of more than 20 years in a light-filled home overlooking California’s Pacific Coast and she is a loving mother and grandmother.
Rhonda is no longer daunted by her darkness-filled childhood, and no longer angry. “I’ve forgiven them for my abuse and neglect,” Rhonda said. “I value all my life experiences, including the bad, because I gained an understanding and empathy that could not be acquired any other way.”
The resourcefulness, self-reliance, and persistence that she developed to survive childhood have also helped her succeed in business and with her life’s purpose.
