Little Things Make a Difference!

What are some "little things" that make a real difference?

Being affectionate- Giving hugs to someone who needs one.  A daily kiss showing genuine love to your spouse or significant other instead of just a casual peck or none at all is priceless in the difference it will make in your relationship.

Voting in elections -both local and national.

Planting a tree to provide shade and enjoyment for generations to come.

Showing support for others in various ways- a note, words, applause, a testimonial or referral, or any other way you can think of.

 Paying focused attention to those who are speaking to you instead of letting your mind wander or doing other things at the same time is a real difference-maker too.

Letting someone go ahead of you in a line, or letting someone in when there is heavy traffic.

Holding the door open for someone.

Always putting the toilet seat down and flushing! (Others will definitely appreciate you for this. LOL)

Seeing how many times in one day that you can offer to help someone else without them having to ask you first. Be proactive in finding ways to help that you don't usually do. You'll feel terrific!

Using your intuition and reasoning skills to figure out who to phone who would really appreciate hearing from you. This might be someone who's going through a challenging time or is lonely, a family member who is far away at the moment, or a friend you haven't heard from in a while. Call them!

Doing the very best job you can no matter what it is.  Whether you are a homemaker, self-employed, have a "regular job," or are just doing chores on your day off, you will make a difference if you give it your best effort. The same holds true for relationships- give your best.

Watching the words you use and your tone of voice. Sometimes we say things we don't mean, are not clear enough in what we say for others to know what we mean, utter hurtful things, etc.  We even sometimes put ourselves down with our talk! Instead, make a difference by being more positive, encouraging, and expressing accurately what we really want others to hear. Build people up!

Hanging around people who inspire you, share the same interests and values, and are fun to be around. As much as possible stay away from those who are unsupportive and who make you feel bad inside.

Paying attention to your self-talk. This takes a lot of practice and is an ongoing exercise. When you catch yourself berating yourself or thinking negative thoughts that are full of doubts about your abilities and  that sound like someone with low self-worth re-frame them to be supportive of yourself. For example, You have the thought that " I'm so stupid. I can't ever do anything right." You re-frame that to "I'm actually quite intelligent. I made a mistake and it's not a big deal. I will do better next time." Also make sure to believe this about yourself. This one thing can make a huge difference in your own life and also pass on to help others.

All of these above ideas will make a difference. I'm certain you can think of others. Try one today!

What can you do in one hour?

Every one of us keeps busy these days. It is easy to make excuses at to why we don't have enough time to help others or causes we believe in.  The thing is, a majority of us do want to make a difference, and we realize that it is at least a part of our purpose for living on this earth.

Here are a few ideas I came up with that can be done in only one hour. This could be one time only, or you could do them more frequently. Whether you choose to do one of these ideas I've listed, or come up with one of your own, I challenge you to find that hour and get started this month. :)

To help the environment: You can help weed a community garden this summer or plant flowers/herbs/fruit/or trees in your own yard or local community. If you have your own garden, make sure to share part of what you grow with others. Another idea is to pick a specific location to walk and pick up trash. (Make sure to wear gloves, and see if someone else wants to join you for this project to make it more fun.) Starting your own compost pile or recycling of plastic, glass,paper,etc. would be another good use of an hour. These gardening options will require an hour or less on a regular basis and probably are not a one time only option.

To help animals: Call your local animal shelter and offer them one hour of your time to help out. They may need someone to walk dogs, change cat litter, answer telephones, or other tasks.

To help people: Visit those folks who have no or few visitors in places such as prisons,nursing homes, hospitals, or are shut-ins in a private home. There may be a local hospital that would love to have you come and rock newborn babies to help out.Your gift of being with them, caring about them, and taking an interest in them with your undivided attention for 60 minutes will mean a lot. An alternative to this for those who are shy or don't care to be around people in person is to write someone a card and mail it. Be a regular penpal or only send a card one time to let them know they are being thought about. You can ask your friends, neighbors, local churches, schools, and others to find out about those who would appreciate receiving a visit or card in the mail.

Teach a Sunday School Class weekly for an hour or find out if your church has something you can do that would only take an hour one time. This could be helping at an event, doing a chore inside or out the church building, phoning people, or even driving someone to and from a service.

Help prepare, serve food, or clean up at a soup kitchen in your area. You could also help with other food programs such as SHARE, clothes drives, Thanksgiving or Christmas community dinners, local events,etc.

Volunteer to help children learn to read at your local elementary school, help a teacher grade papers, assist with a school field trip, be a Scout leader or assistant, make an education presentation on a topic you are knowledgeable and experienced in, read for a children's hour at your public library, or fill in as a guest speaker when someone else has to cancel for a business event.

Go through your clothes closet and bag or box those you can donate to Goodwill or someplace else on your next trip past their facility. Do the same with canned and boxed goods from your own kitchen food pantry.

Offer ice cold water free to passersby on a hot sunny summer's day. Babysit an hour for free so a mother or father can have a much-needed break. Invite people over to dinner for a home-cooked meal. Adopt a family at Christmastime to buy gifts for. It should take an hour or less to shop and wrap the presents.

Donating an hour of your services or talents is another terrific way to help others. Whether you do repair work, tutoring, plumbing, business or life coaching, artwork, hairstyling, makeup and nails, massage,or something else entirely,there are people out there who cannot afford it who would so be appreciative of having a hand up.

The possibilities of helping in only one hour are endless! What will you choose to do for this one hour challenge?

5 Ways to Make a Difference Even When You're Busy!

The world of today is fast-paced. We work, have responsibilities, and need to spend time with family and friends as well. Often it seems as if there is no time left in the week for ourselves even. So how can we possibly find the time to help others?

Here are some ideas to get you thinking about the possibilities:
1. Instead of joining an active committee that has regular meetings to attend, how about offering to help out at your church, school, organization, or a favorite charity for a one time event, such as fundraiser or  a task, such as planting a garden? 

2.Maybe you have been trying to get rid of clutter in your home and garage like I have. Holding a garage sale in which the proceeds are given to help others and the leftovers donated as well accomplishes two things at the same time. Have even less time? Just call a place such as The Salvation Army to see if a truck could pick up all your donations instead of holding a sale of your own. You can donate a vehicle as well.

3.Set up a bank account just for philanthropy and auto-deposit of a regular amount each payday. This can be any amount. The most important part is to do it. Get a debit card or checks made  for this account. When a natural disaster strikes, someone in your local community needs help due to illness, a fire, or something else, you will be ready to hep. You can also make donations to your favorite charity through this account or help when someone is having a fundraiser.

4. Sponsor a child. There are several organizations that serve the children around the world which offer a way for about $25 per month to help one specific child. You are able to become their "pen pal" and receive information about them and how your money is helping.

5. Decide who you most want to help and then figure out a way to do so in the limited time you have. It could be visiting a nursing home once a month, becoming a Big Brother or Sister, mowing your next door elderly or disabled neighbor's yard at the same time you mow yours, or driving someone to a medical or dental appointment. Maybe you could adopt a family for Christmas giving and buy their presents at the same time you buy your own.

Think of any other ideas? Have an experience of your own to share as to how you made your difference even though you're busy? Please share in the comments below.

How to help tornado victims with donations and other aids

How to help tornado victims with donations and other aids


Click on the url above to read an article that provides good information and links for any of you reading this who might be interested in helping the communities who were affected by the numerous tornadoes recently.

If you have any other tips or other information not listed to share, please add your comment below this post.

Thank you for helping others.

Earth Day Thoughts

Earth Day for 2011 is 4/22. There will be many related events happening all over the globe. A search online will bring up many sites offering information on these events as well as organizations who all year-round help our planet in some way. I encourage you to check some of them out.

It's nice to have a day to draw attention to Earth, and celebrate. Many people make an effort to do something on this one day- plant trees, pick up trash, or attend an event. The truth is, our planet, the place we all call home, needs us 365 days per year every single year!

Earth Day is a great day to begin though to help our planet if you haven't, or do something special or different if you already do regularly make an effort.

We live on a beautiful planet. It is our responsibility to help take care of it. This includes all that grows on it, the people who live on it, the water, the soil, etc. When we do not, we see animals and plants go extinct, people suffer and die, and nature responding in ways that we do not like.

I want to thank each one of you who has done something to make the world a better place.

Here are some quotes that I want to share with you today:

"Take care of the earth and she will take care of you." Author unknown

"When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves." David Orr

"Nature is not a place to visit, it is home." Gary Snyder

"The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself." Franklin D. Roosevelt

"We never know the worth of water till the well is dry." Thomas Fuller

"Love the earth as you would love yourself." John Denver

"A Healthy Ecology is the Basis for a Healthy Economy." Claudine Schnieder

"There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew." Marshall McLuhan

"We are partakers of a common nature, and the same causes that contribute to the benefit of one contribute to the benefit of another." William Godwin

Last but not least-

"Every day is Earth Day." Author Unknown

Guest Post:: Help up to 3 charities at no cost!

Unfortunately to most people, philanthropy is a word that is not only hard to say, but hard to understand. The word Magnanimous doesn't exactly roll off the tongue or sit in on many conversations. While I know that adding those words in to your common dialogue is going to be difficult, maybe I don't need to? Maybe I can still help you get involved, be a hero, and change the world.

Picturehealing.com is a new website that allows our users to give back to up to three (3) of their chosen causes with out spending any money. We're similar to Photobucket, Flickr, and Snapfish… you can back up your pictures, and share them across the web directly from picturehealing.com, except by doing so with us, you'll be joining a community of amazing people, all working to make a change by earning your three favorite causes donations. The donations are based on your participation, so the more you use the site, the more your causes will earn!

I know what you're thinking… "How much does this cost me?" Here is the cool part. IT'S FREE. "Okay, so how much do the charities have to pay?" This is where its even cooler… we DON'T CHARGE them either! "So then where does the money come from?" GREAT QUESTION! The simple answer is advertising. Think of us like a digital robin-hood… we take money from the advertisers, and we let you decide who to give it back to! Pretty cool right?! Check it out: www.picturehealing.com

My partners and I have decided that instead of just working to earn a pay check, live a comfortable lifestyle, and always chase that next "thing" we "need", that we would focus our work on creating opportunities for people to get better at giving. We care deeply about people, and the organizations that we're each personally passionate about, but we realized that we didn't need to limit the support we could generate to only the issues we wanted to help. We realized we could open up the doors to you guys to get involved and support the issues you connect with too! Some of the organizations we're currently working with are Music Saves Lives (musicsaveslives.org), Smile Train (smiletrain.org) Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families (casapacifica.org) Keep a Breast Foundation (keepabreast.org) and so many more!

Our passion is our work, our work is giving back, and our work is working hand in hand with you, and with some of the most amazing organizations that make a change in the world. We can all make a change, one at a time… but it is so much more fun to do it together!

Please feel free to reach out to me with questions, ideas, comments, or causes we should look in to adding to the site!

About Christopher Brereton:
http://www.picturehealing.com/blog/who-are-we/christopher-brereton/

April is National Volunteer Month!

National Volunteer Week 2011 will take place April 10 - 16, 2011, in order to avoid conflicts with religious holidays. The entire of month of April is designated as National Volunteer Month, a time we celebrate those whose volunteer efforts make such a difference , and encourage others to volunteer for the charities or causes of their choosing.

Museums,schools,hospitals,churches,communities,animal rescue and shelters, environmental groups, and many more types of organizations count on the assistance of those who are interested in what they are doing. Without volunteers, many would have to shut down or reduce services.

While some positions require specific skills, many offer training to those who volunteer. Sometimes when paid positions become available they are offered first to those who have graciously freely offered their time volunteering. Being able to list volunteer work on a college application or work resume is an added benefit as well. The main perk is actually the deep satisfaction that comes from giving of yourself to help others in need. That is priceless!

If you have never volunteered before, why not give it a try this month? If you have, and no longer are currently active, why not try helping a different group that matches your interests now better? If you are already actively helping somewhere, Thank you so much for all you do!