Saturday, January 24, 2009

Change Starts with You

The past few weeks have been an interesting time. A time when the entire world is wanting change: change from the past to a hope of what a new year might bring; change from a wavering global economy; change in power and political ideology; the list for change is endless.

Being an American this is an especially interesting week as one Presidential Admininstration transitioned to another. Everyone is hopeful for change and for the new Administration to solve the problems we face with diminishing resources, war and conflict, a wavering economy, the list goes on and on. While I'm hopeful progress can be made, the belief that one man and his cabinet can change the world by themselves is quite illogical.

Making the world a better place takes individual efforts by everyone. We all have the responsibility to reach out to those in our circle of influence to make a difference. Making this difference and promoting positive change can be simple. Here are just a few ideas to consider:

  • Give a kind smile to a neighbor or passerby

  • Help a neighbor carry in their grocieries

  • Volunteer a couple hours a month at your child's school

  • Grant someone a compliment

  • Donate your spare change to a favorite charity

  • Give a kind, listening ear to someone who is down

Some of these ideas literally only take a few seconds of your day, but make a lasting impact on the lives of others. World governments may or may not be able to solve our global problems, but we can most certainly make each day a little better by lending a helping hand.

This site is dedicated to those efforts. I will be posting ideas and information on how you can get involved and make a move for change. Send me stories you'd like to share or information you have about how individuals can get involved. I welcome any suggestions.

5 comments:

  1. You rock. (That's a compliment...I've already started on your list! ;-)

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  2. I love it. This looks great Sheila. I'm going to spend some time looking through this stuff.

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  3. Hello,

    I love your thoughts on change, and on getting involved. I like to believe a new administration can make a difference, but truly changing things requires involvement by us all.

    I have another resource for getting involved that I thought you might be interested in. I work for Universalgiving, an online non-profit dedicated to connecting individuals to the best possible projects to donate to or volunteer with. All partner organizations pass a rigorous QualityModel to appear on our site, and we don't take any cut on donations. Check us out at www.universalgiving.org if you're curious, or feel free to email me any thoughts or questions!

    Wishing you all the best with your site. I love it that you're suggesting ways to get involved!

    Best,
    Cheryl Mahoney
    cmahoney@universalgiving.org

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