Ideas and Opportunities to Change the World!

Little Things Make a Difference!

2011-08-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-08-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-05-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-04-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-04-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

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!

Helping Earthquake and Tsunami Victims

2011-03-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

From all that I've been reading, prayer and monetary donations are the best way for the majority of people to help those in need after the severe earthquake and tsunami in Japan. I wanted to share a list of places who are taking monetary donations to aid those in need of food,water,clothes, medical assistance, and anything else due to these natural disasters. If you can help, please do!

One extremely trustworthy place to give toward earthquake and tsunami relief. 100 % goes directly to relief as administrative costs are paid through special church offerings. UMCOR also is well known for offering long-term help after the initial crisis has abated.UMCOR is the United Methodist Committee on Relief. http://new.gbgm-umc.org/advance/projects/search/index.cfm?action=details&id=3021317&code=3021317 This info was shared with me by Sharon Carson.

The GreaterGood.org, which has several websites to help animals,people,the rainforest, and more is taking donations at hungersite.com . All you have to do is click on the picture that says Japan Earthquake & Tsunami- Help Now to get to the donation page. 100% of your donation will go to helping. Sponsors pay for expenses so that all money given goes directly to helping this cause. This is where I made my donation.

Here is a link to "7 Ways You Can Help the Earthquake and Tsunami Victims in Japan" http://t.co/LGaO3AP . It has links and helpful information.

If after reading this you know of any other organizations who are helping in relief efforts, please post below in the comments section.

Japan faces many difficult challenges ahead as they try to recover from all that has happened this past week. When we help others who live in this world, we also help ourselves. My heart goes out to those suffering.

Special Song About Love

2011-02-17T02:17:00.000-08:00

Here's a special song about love that was shared with me by a man who calls himself Mr. Positive, Professional Encourager. Nice tune and meaningful lyrics. Listen all the way through, and let me know what you think.

Love…It’s All About Love! http://t.co/55xBkQo

Awesome Video!

2011-02-16T06:08:00.000-08:00

http://bit.ly/gEvOT1 (via @MichelleShaeffr)

Loving the World!

2011-02-14T05:35:00.000-08:00

We live on a beautiful planet. Water, mountains, trees, flowers, animals, and people all existing together on what we call Earth.

Yes there are things happening all the time which can be perceived by us as negative-war,drought,famine,crime,,earthquakes, and more- yet there are always wonderful things being experienced at the exact same time.

Today, on Valentine's Day, a holiday in which we celebrate love, I'd like to propose that we think about ways to love the whole world more and take action to actively share our love with others.

How can we share love and spread it around the world?

Here are several ways that are a start:

1. Say the words "I love you. You matter to me" to family,relatives, and friends. Look them in the eye when you say them. Give them hugs on a regular basis. We humans crave that intimacy and feelings that only a hug can bring. Send photos,emails, and letters to those who aren't near you.

2. Pay attention to your own self. Whenever you start feeling any negative feelings towards another human being, ask yourself what issue is coming up for you. Deal with whatever that is-jealousy,hate, bigotry, or something else- forgive yourself, and try to make amends if at all possible. Forgive yourself and make certain that self-care is a daily practice. You can be of far better service to others when you have higher self-esteem and love for yourself. That actually teaches you how to love others more effectively!

3. Follow the Golden Rule- " Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you." Set the example for those you come into contact each day. This includes both your work and personal life. Doing this shows your self-love as well as your love for others.

4. Volunteer to help others either right where you live or someplace else. Opportunities abound everywhere for you to make a difference using your unique skills and passions. Whether you decide to go to a foreign country, across the state or country you live in to help, or stay in your local community to do so, you are part of the global community who are making the world a better place.

5. Give away part of your assets as you feel led. Donate goods to organizations who are able to pass them out appropriately or sell them to fund jobs for other people who need them. Give money to those charities,churches, or non-profits who you have researched who can spend the money wisely. You could also do something such as send cookies to the troops to let them know you're thinking of them while they are away from their families and that they are appreciated as individuals, or buy school supplies or clothes for a child whose parents cannot afford them.

6. Vote to elect officials that are not about being in power, and who are about helping people and nature thrive. Seek the love factor in those who you vote for.

7. Pray for the whole world, not just those you know. Sincerely compliment others as you can. Practice optimism. Negativity never has helped the world become a place that is nicer to live in.
Smile and be cheerful. It's contagious!

8. Don't forget those who are shut-ins, those who are in hospitals and nursing homes, those who are serving time in prison, and all others who have needs that you do not. They are people too, and may need some extra love and care. Our love has the potential to help people feel that they are valued, give them hope, and even to be the stimulus to turn people's lives around.
That is incredibly powerful!

Happy Valentine's Day to all who read this. I love you!

Movies That Make a Difference

2011-02-05T00:47:00.000-08:00

We live in a rapidly changing world. One thing that many of us do to relax is watch movies. Yesterday I watched one that I had checked out of the local public library titled "My Name is Khan." I believe it will have an impact on almost everyone who watches it who has a heart for the people in our world. It definitely stirred my soul. We need to have more movies like this that can emotionally charge people so that they take action knowing that even one person can make a real difference just like this man did. Although I think that this was a fictional story, it rung so true and touched on so many things we can all relate to, it seemed real- like a composite of actual stories that did happen in the past several years to various people.

My favorite movie growing up was the Sound of Music. I thought the character of Maria, played by Julie Andrews, was a great role model. She had a caring heart, was full of fun and pure joy, innovative- remember her taking the curtains and turning them into outfits for the kids?- and when faced with a huge challenge at the end of the movie helped her family flee the country they loved to start over again in a new place. The Von Trapp Family's story was a true one, and that may be when I decided that I wanted to have a loving marriage and large happy family. I wanted to be a giving person like Maria was, and love deeply, so that motion picture had a real effect on my life.

Hearing the beautiful music and lyrics "Climb every mountain, Ford every stream, Follow every rainbow, 'til you find your dream" was powerful motivation back then, and are words still meaningful to me so many decades later.

The Stoning of Soraya M. is another movie I watched recently that was based on an actual story. In the Bible there are stories of people being stoned to death. I had never understood how it actually took place. This film lets you get to know the people, their culture and beliefs, and the circumstances first. The stoning scene wrenched my heart. The tears flowed. I could not comprehend how people could do that to anyone, no matter what. The fact that she was innocent of what she was convicted of made it that much harder.

Afterward, I realized that lately I've been feeling strongly a call to help people become aware of what is happening both in my own country as well as throughout the world and that is why I have been drawn to movies that shed light on issues that affect the lives of people, animals, and nature.

Whether it is about people being treated unfairly, not having even the basics in life- water,food,medical care, clean air, freedom of religion or it is something else such as health issues, finances, lack of jobs, difficult relationships, or stronger issues such as war and crimes I want to let people know what is happening and ask they join me as I pray for healing of our world in every way and try to make a difference as I can.

Let's share ideas and inspiring stories together, educate people on a wide variety of topics, and unite to make the world a better place! Have you seen any films that you would recommend to others to watch to learn more about a particular topic? It could be about anything- about a disease, economics, civil rights, how to live a better life or have better relationships, or whatever it is you watched that has helped shed some light on a subject. Please share in the comments below. Thank you for reading,caring, and responding.

New Year,New Ideas!

2011-01-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's 2011 already! It seems as if everyone this week is discussing resolutions and goals for the new year.

What I'd like to do today is encourage you not to forget to plan who you want to help this year and how you would like to do it. It's so easy to overlook, and yet is so important. I now consider it an essential part of my own personal growth and development each year to give. Planning for it insures that it happens. In addition, opportunities also arise during the year which I donate for or volunteer as I can. Both are important to me as well as those who are helped.

Each year I choose a different local group to volunteer with. For now that is my preference. Doing this allows me to do a wide range of tasks. I learn new skills each time, and am able to share my own talents and skills which I already have also. It gives me a different experience and group of people to work with each time. I thrive on variety and have lots of interests so this suits me well.

I know several people who have one group that they volunteer with every single year. They enjoy being with the same group of people and the familiarity of the tasks. They became important to their particular group due to how skilled they are, and are able to establish close friendships that way. Many eventually become leaders in their chosen group. Even those who don't choose to take leadership roles find that their input is more valued due to their length of service and experience with that group.

There are others who volunteer for several groups or one time only projects such as fundraisers. Some people only help out for a specific season such as Christmas. What really matters is that you figure out what way you'd like to help out most and then begin doing that.

The possibilities for volunteering are almost infinite. Whether you think you might be interested in being a scout leader, school volunteer, serving soup at a food kitchen,helping the area you live, cleaning up the environment, taking in animals, or something else completely, I implore you to get started as soon as possible.

Take at least the action step of looking into volunteer opportunities in the area you get most excited about. If you don't feel interested in anything specific, why not try helping whoever is most in need? When you find a good fit for yourself, you will feel so much gratification you will wonder why you didn't start sooner.

Now on to money and other donations. ;)

Most of us don't like the word budgeting. The truth is however, that when we know and plan where our money goes to it becomes a tool for us to enhance our lives instead of a burden. Whether you are a religious or spiritual person, or even an atheist or agnostic, most people agree that giving 10% of your income to help others or good causes helps our world and is very reasonable as well as doable. It's up to you to decide your own personal values regarding this. I can tell you from my own personal experience and from hearing so many wonderful stories from others that the rewards from doing so are immense. Giving something, no matter how large or how small, is always meaningful and helpful.

People who are giving, caring, thoughtful, and loving are attractive to others. We like those we feel will help us if we ourselves should ever need it. When we give freely of our time, talents, and assets we increase our own self-esteem, because we feel good about who we have become.

In many instances of giving we see or find out the results- families who are fed or receiving much needed dental or medical care, new trees growing, people being offered training in skills so they can find jobs, homeless people who now have hope for a future, schools who now have supplies so they can adequately teach the children who are the world's future, and so on.

Please take some time this month to decide:
1. Who will you donate money to this year?
2. Who will you share some of your no longer needed goods with?
3.Who you will volunteer your time with?

Then, take the action to do each of these things.

I promise your year will be more satisfying and rewarding. What you give always comes back to you in some manner- sometimes in astonishingly wonderful ways. Life is a precious gift we are all given. It's time we all give back as we can.

Happy New Year!

Before the end of the year...

2010-12-23T04:55:00.000-08:00

It's almost the end of the year, a time when almost everyone is celebrating for cultural and spiritual reasons. We think of lights,family, peace, joy, and our blessings.

There are numerous parties, church services, and local events to attend. We seem far busier than any other time of year as we decorate, buy gifts, grocery shop to buy goodies to make meals extra-special, and the list goes on an on...

Would you consider taking some time before the end of the year to make a difference for others?

Here are a few ideas to get your "giving juices" flowing:
Send a monetary donation to the charity or cause or person of your choice.
Donate goods to a thrift store such as The Salvation Army,Goodwill, or St. Vincent De Paul.
Buy gifts or business needs from companies who donate part of their profits to help others.
Note: Some of the things listed here may be tax-deductible as well. A present for you in return!
Offer food to a food pantry or a pet shelter. They can all use other things as well, and many have an actual written wish list if you ask or can tell you what their urgent needs are.
Visit people in a nursing home , hospital, or prison. Many don't get any visitors at all. (It brought tears to my eyes just typing that last line.)
Find out which families or individuals in your local area could really use a boost right now and choose one family or individual to really help in some way. Try to find those who aren't being helped already by others.
Volunteer somewhere- Your gift of time is precious! Whether it's for an hour only one time or on a regular basis it's helpful.
Babysit for a couple who don't get out much so they can have some needed time alone.
Write letters to those in the military serving far away from their home and family, those who are lonely, shut-ins, and who you feel intuitively could use a boost.
Thank your employees, co-workers, mail person, delivery people, and anyone else who has helped you this year in a sincere enthusiastic manner.
Show love through your words, actions, hugs, and kisses to as many people as you can.
Be patient with everyone, including yourself. This is a real gift!
Shovel snow for a neighbor.
Forgive someone. This might be yourself as well as others too.
Pray for peace and love to spread throughout the world.

You can mail the fronts of Christmas cards or other all-occasion greeting cards to:
St. Jude's Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude's Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

Are there any ideas you'd like to add? Comment below.

I'm wishing all of my readers a delightful holiday season and a blessed 2011. Thank you so much for reading, sharing my posts, encouragement, and your comments. You are appreciated!

Putting on your Angel Wings

2010-12-13T05:05:00.000-08:00

This past week, an article by Barbara Winter in her Joyfully Jobless News ezine caught my attention. I was filled with enthusiasm by all the possibilities it stirred up inside me. The title was "Five Ways To Be An Angel This Holiday." All five ways were excellent, and shared ideas on how to support other people's dreams."

"Seems to me that this is a perfect time to don some angel wings and show your support for someone else's dreams. If that dreamer is an aspiring (or launched) entrepreneur, here are a few suggestions for adding angel power to business building dreams."

This quote preceding the five ways to help entrepeneurs got me tingling with excitement. What if we all would find ways to support each other's dreams on a regular basis? We can do this for everyone in the world!

We can encourage someone who wants to turn their passion into a business, a 5 year old learning to ride a bike or swim ,16 year old learning how to drive, or the athlete who is in training. We can choose to support someone in another country who dreams of finding ways to provide housing, food, education, and health care for their village. This can be done year-round, and not just at Christmas time.

We live in a world where there are some dream stealers in every single town and family. You and I have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of both people we know and of perfect strangers to help keep their dream alive and actually manifest into reality. We can even be supportive of the dream stealers themselves, so they know that life is full of possibilities, and that goals can be reached- that dreams do come true!

Through words, actions, and deeds we can let others know we are rooting for them to succeed and that we know they have what it takes to do so. We can offer our help and support in many different ways.

My niece just got her double Master's Degree in Music and Music Education Saturday. This was a huge accomplishment for her as she lives in constant pain due to automobile accidents she was in a few years ago. She didn't give up, even when the going got extremely tough.

My sister and her terrific husband gave her the extra support she needed. They did things like help her study, clean her house, walk her dog, lend an ear, and much more. There were times I'm sure all of them wondered whether she was going to succeed. They kept going though by seeing the end result. She did graduate, and it would have been much less likely to happen if she hadn't had the support of her loving family. (I'm so proud of you Elaine!)

Parents, you can encourage your children no matter what their age is. Adult children need your support too. Other relatives can be supportive as well. My mother-in-law has gone above and beyond in the support for our family the entire 25 years my husband has been married. It has really made a difference for us.

You can "put on your Angel Wings" and support others too. As you are out and about in your daily life, become more aware of the opportunities that surround you. They are there no matter where in the world you are at the moment. Look for them, take inspired action, and not only will you help them, you'll help yourself too.

Whether it's the gift of your time, writing a positive sincere note, commenting on someone's Facebook page, a physical gift, or some other means of being supportive, you will have a precious impact on another person's life. That one little thing could be the catalyst that changes someone else's life for the better permanently!

How do you show your thanks?

2010-11-24T07:09:00.000-08:00

Since Thanksgiving is this week, many of us will be taking time to specifically think about all the things we are thankful for. This is something I try to do every day, as practicing the act of gratitude has improved my life in numerous ways. The more you let yourself and others know you are thankful the more you open up the space to receive even more into your life.

People enjoy being around optimistic, happy people. Why are they this way? Because on a regular basis they appreciate all the opportunities,relationships, experiences, material goods, and even things like their good health.

They thank people regularly, they donate their time and money to good causes, and they usually have some kind of ritual in their life that is all about how thankful they are. For some it is writing in a daily gratitude journal, for others it is prayer, and for still others it may be spending time right before bed reflecting on all the good things that they experienced that day.

I'm usually a very positive, cheerful person. A little over a week ago I totaled my car in a rollover accident due to ice. The first few days I was very negative as I couldn't believe that my life had been going along so well and then this happened. I didn't like the way I was being at all and had to work through that.

Because I have developed a strong network of support the past year, my family and friends immediately sent me love, healing thoughts, prayers, phone calls, email messages, and their positive energy. It really helped me tremendously.

Instead of wallowing around in self-pity for the next several months as my body heals I have been able to already shift mentally and emotionally. I'm excited now about healing as quickly as possible so that I can get back to following my passions and serving others.

Already I was able yesterday to work for 2 hours with a client who is also a friend and person who accepts me for who I am and encourages me to keep stepping into my greatness even under difficult circumstances.

I was able to forgive myself for how I behaved and thought for that first few days and realize that it is how I act from now on that will determine how quickly my body is able to heal. I choose to be positive and help my body heal through both my thoughts and actions.

My friends and family are absolute blessings to me. I cherish our relationships. Today I want to publicly acknowledge and thank everyone in my life whether you know me personally or are just a reader of my blog, follow me on Facebook or twitter, or are an email buddy. All of you are important to me. It's with your help that I'm doing wonderful things with my life and have not allowed the challenges that have arisen to send me backwards. You have encouraged me, cared about me, and let me know that I matter. Now it's my turn to let you all know that you matter to me too and are very important to me.

How can you show your thanks today? How do you show your thanks? Comment below if you'd like to. Thank you all, dear readers of my blog. Blessings to you each day.

How changing a word makes a difference!

2010-11-07T13:24:00.000-08:00

At the retreat I attended recently, a short presentation was done regarding using the words and or but. The point was made that when you use the word but, it negates whatever you said previously and turns the listener off by making them feel defensive. When you use the word and instead it makes a huge difference. The person will actually listen to what you have to say.

Replace the word ,but, with the word and. So simple, yet it will really make a difference. Try it and see for yourself.

I'd like to, but...
I'd like to, and..

Hope you see a big difference once you try it and pass this tip on to others as well. The little things in life really do add up to a big difference over time.

Seeing Greatness!

2010-10-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was in Santa Fe for a retreat. There were many things learned there. One of them I'd like to share with you today.

In my life, it turns out I tend to make projections a lot. What is a projection? Well, it could be making an assumption or thinking up a belief or outcome for someone else. For instance, when someone doesn't show up on time to an appointment, I may think all sorts of things- they overslept, they forgot something and had to go back home, they got stuck in traffic, or something bad happened to them. I'm making up all sorts of projections for them, and most of the time none of them end up being true.

Sometimes when I do this it's more serious than that example, and not at all pretty. I may do this in regards to why someone acts the way they do, or why something is happening in their life.

In either case, this is not a healthy thing for me to do for either myself or them. It could even hurt them and thus our relationship because I've projected unto them negative thoughts I'm thinking or saying aloud about them. It hasn't served me one iota. I'm truly sorry that I've been doing this for as long as I can remember. Please forgive me if I have done this to you.

Why am I sharing this? It's possible that you, being human, may be doing this too. With the help of those at the retreat I have come up with a solution to change my behavior, and you are welcome to use it also.

Every time I now catch myself doing this, I'm going to change that thought to "I see this person in their Greatness." I'll actually use the person's name instead of saying this person. For example, " I see Penelope standing in her Greatness."

I plan to do this over and over until it becomes an actual positive habit for me and the way I do things.

What will happen when I do this? I will be lifting that person up and accepting them for who they are. I will be thinking of them as being the wonderful individual they are. Instead of thinking the worst about them or their situation, I'll be opening up the possibilities for fantastic things to happen for them. I will be more calm and not worry.

This new shift serves me much better because I am choosing to be the Light-bearer of Greatness when I do this. Stepping Into Your Greatness was the name of the retreat in Santa Fe. I'm doing that when I consciously make the decision to look at all people as standing in their Greatness too. We are Divine Beings. It's time I started treating everyone that way. No exceptions.

Every person, animal, and living thing on planet Earth is connected. We are all always Stepping Into Our Greatness. Let us all lift each other up by acknowledging that with all whom we encounter each day.

And so it is!

Volunteer Opportunities Abound!

2010-09-21T05:23:00.000-07:00

Since this blog is all about ways to make a difference in the world today, this morning I decided to find some basic resources to share with readers. Here are some websites you can use to get started looking through and learning about a wide variety of volunteer opportunities in your own area or in a different part of the world:

www.dosomething.org/volunteer
www.volunteer.gov/Gov
www.volunteermatch.org
www.idealist.org/if/as/vol
www,volunteerabroad.com
www.rileyguide.com/intern.html
www.worldvolunteers.org/worldeng.html

There are thousands of websites offering ways to volunteer no matter where you are. Many of them specialize in just one area of helping such as the environment, education, or health. Others offer multiple opportunities instead of just focusing on one area.

You can also do a search for you favorite charitable organization to see what opportunities are available. Whether it be your church denomination, the YMCA, Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Peace Corps, World Wildlife Fund, Nature Conservancy, or some other organization, these days almost all have a website online with a page listing their current opportunities as well as a way to donate money.

Looking through some of these sites were possibilities for volunteering that I hadn't thought of. Teaching languages, doing an internship which could eventually lead to a paying job,
counting birds or fireflies or specific animals in an area, being a voluntary librarian, helping out in an orphanage, nursing injured animals, assisting researchers with scientific studies in fields such as astronomy or archeology or economics or medicine, diving along the Great Barrier Reef to help AIDS research and threatened coral, and more.

Although some opportunities would require expertise or experience, most do not. There are numerous tasks that the average person could do. Many organizations offer training in any specific skills needed for the work you'd be helping in. This means you would not only be able to help others or make a difference in some way, but you would also receive knowledge and skills that help you in your personal growth and could increase your resume and income potential at the same time!

Whether you are interested in a project of a certain length, are looking for something you could help with weekly, or just would like to do something to help out as your way of giving back and as a different way to spend your vacation, you'll be able to find something on one of these sites or by doing your own internet search that is a great fit for you.

There are even ways to help organizations on the internet! Many sites for charities can use your talents if you are internet savvy. Technical or writing skills, knowing search engine optimization, graphic design, and many more would be appreciated by organizations on limited budgets. That way, they can spend the donations they receive to help others instead of paying for websites and related work. Free web-hosting, video creation, and promoting the organization on social media are just a few more possibilities.

Make sure of course to discuss the needs of the particular organization you want to help. They need to give you approval before you begin.

Have you come across any internet sites that list opportunities? If so, please share in the comments below. Also share your story with us if you have personal done some interesting, rewarding, or unusual volunteer work at any time in your life. We all enjoy inspiration, and it could just be the thing that gets someone to begin volunteering for the first time or re-committed to doing more. That's another way for you to make a difference!

About World Peace...

2010-09-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

World Peace. Most people say they want it. Some join peace rallies, wear peace signs on their clothes and jewelry, and some spend a lot of volunteering for causes relating to it. Nobel Peace Prize winners are selected based on their individual contribution to this cause.

Many people don't do anything.

What can you as an individual do to help the world have it? I believe it begins at home with our family, how we act with our neighbors and local community, how we act when we travel outside our own area, what we post in social media, say both in public and private, thoughts we think, and just basically in everything we do.

Are you part of the solution, or do you talk negatively about those who are different than you in some way? If gender,sexual orientation, religion or having none,political affiliation, color of skin,nationality, or anything else like that bother you so much that you feel hatred or strong dislike for someone, I beg you to think this through and figure out what upsets you so much that someone shouldn't have the freedom to have their own beliefs that are different than yours.

Someone who is of a different race than you didn't even have a choice what race they would prefer to be. They were born into it! Nationality? A majority of the time they were born in that country. The same goes for most who are of a different sexual orientation than you. They were born that way. Others may have had some upsetting traumas that caused them to decide to change.

We are all equal. We should treat people with respect. We should give people a chance. I'm not saying we should be close friends with criminals, do business with unethical people, or interact with those who share different values than us. I am saying that we shouldn't pre- judge people by the things I mentioned above. We should get to know them as a real person.

Putting down others doesn't lift anyone up. It serves no useful purpose whatsoever.

I'm making an effort in my own life to pay attention to my thoughts, what I say, and what my actions say about me. I have a long way to go, but every bit of progress is a step for the better. This is a great place to start in the effort to have world peace. Become aware and notice in your own self when you do something that would have a negative effect on an individual or a group. Gossip could fall into this category. I'm sure you can think of many more actions or instances that could.

There are a lot of groups on the internet who are posting ideas for those who would like to be more active in this area. Teleseminars are also being offered by people of all faiths and personal beliefs who are interested in finding common group and looking for the best in all people rather than getting all upset and focusing on differences. Do a search for peace, and you'll have many to choose from.

Please do whatever you can personally to uplift those you interact with. I know since you are reading this you are wanting to make a bigger difference and have more impact on our world today. You are already doing that in various ways already I'm certain. Keep up the great work!

Feel free to share your ideas on how we can all join together to have peace in our world someday.

What can you do?

2010-08-30T03:40:00.000-07:00

Life in today's world is super busy for almost everyone. Between work, chores, family commitments, and everything else going on, many people don't even have time for themselves let alone helping others.

For that reason I'm going to share some tips to free up some time to do just that- practice self-care and help others too.

First, figure out your values and establish your priorities. Only you know what that is. Do not let others do that for you! They will if you don't make it clear what they are for you. If, for example, family dinner is important to you, set a regular schedule for it and let the family members know what your expectations are. If there is a time of day you meditate, read, have devotions, exercise, or work on a hobby or something else, be clear that you do not want to be interrupted unless it's truly necessary.

Children and spouses should help around the house. Have a family meeting to decide what each person should do according to their abilities,schedules, and likes. Don't make them do a chore they despise. By letting them help with this process you will teach them about respect and responsibility. Understand that some chores need to be done even if no one wants to do them. Those chores should be decided as fairly as possible. Let those doing them know how much you appreciate it. By letting them help you with some tasks, you will also have more time available to help them with some of their projects when they could really use it.

Set up routines for your daily hygiene as well as schedule a set time for you to do the once in a while things like trimming your nails or taking a long bubble bath. Put your clothes out the night before and have everything ready you need for school or work or any other activity the next day. Routines may seem boring, but they can serve you well if you let them. They will actually free up more time to be spontaneous when you want to be!

Become a list maker. Don't only create them, but use them! I have a dry erase board in my office for my work to -dos and appointments, one in the kitchen that we add what we need from the grocery store and other places to, a specific pad for my shopping lists which I just can easily list the items from the board, a vision board to remind me of my goals,an appointment book, and more. They are tools which when used properly make a huge difference. Let me know if you have any specific ones that work well for you. I'd love to hear about them. :)

There is now a way to take notes in the shower! (See Aquanotes.com) Keep a notebook or electronic device with you at all times so as you think of things you can have a specific place for them. That clears some of the clutter out of your brain so you can focus on what you are doing at the moment. It also means when you have an aha moment or remember something important you don't forget it.

Learn to say no to anything that doesn't fit with your new priorities. Volunteer for only one thing at a time if that is all your schedule allows. That way you can do it well. Let your family and those you see on a regular basis know what you are focusing on at the moment. Allow them to support you in this. Do delegate tasks to others in your household or business. They usually are more capable than you think! Make sure to thank them for helping and recognizing their good work.

Combine several errands in run trip. Take something with you do anytime you have to wait somewhere. Learn which businesses give you the fastest and best service so you can shop there.
Consider shopping online & having things shipped or delivered to you. Alice.com, Schwans.com, Alibris.com, and Amazon.com are just a few possibilities. All of them have offered me free shipping, quick delivery, and quality items.

Look around your home or office and see where clutter is the worst problem for you. Once you know that, take time to think about what you could do to fix the situation. It may be buying storage containers, labeling things, re-purposing something you already have for a new use, getting rid of things you no longer need or want, or something else. Even if you only work on the area a few minutes a day it will make a difference very quickly.

One of the things I've not been good at is keeping an up-to-date contact list for my family,relatives,friends,business associates,etc. I'm trying to remedy this as it wastes a lot of time and energy trying to find out addresses to mail out cards and presents to, or a phone number or email address. Keeping my inbox to a reasonable amount of emails is something else I'm working on.

There are professional organizers available for hire, lots of different organizational aids available to buy, and many good books and magazine articles that can help in all of this. Short on funds?
The public library and using what you already have will work just fine.

This is a subject I've become very interested in as I see and hear from so many people who feel overwhelmed,stressed out, and feel they have no time for anything fun let alone time to help others. I was like that too. Since I've made it a priority to get more organized and set priorities for my personal life and business things have improved immensely. Yes, I still have a long way to go in some areas, but the improvement so far has motivated me to continue this for myself as well as sharing with others things that have worked for me or others.

It would be awesome if some of my readers would add your own tips in the comments below. What I have shared is just a small sampling of ideas to help anyone who would want to get started. I'll be continuing to do this for myself as well. Sharing will help all of us.

My husband and I are planning to buy a freezer soon in order to save $ on groceries by stocking up when the price is better. It will also save us from going to the grocery store so often. That will save us much time and gas. I can buy basic staples here in town, but the main part of my groceries and household goods I buy are 45 minutes to almost an hour and 1/2 one way.

You most likely have your own situation of time drainers. Find out what energizes you, and when you are feeling peppier than usual, begin tackling that challenge. You'll be so glad you did!

Lastly, if you have a period of time where you need to focus on a major project & truly don't have time to volunteer, there are still things you can do to help others. Donate money to a charity,
share a smile, open a door for someone, say a few kind words, or give someone a quick hug. There is always time to do something, but we must make it a priority.

Note: I'm not an affiliate for any of the products or websites mentioned. I was just using examples of what I like or use myself.

Baby steps, big strides, & giant leaps!

2010-08-17T10:02:00.001-07:00

Greetings everyone!

Since I'm self-employed, I read a lot of material to help business owners. Recently I've seen the advice to make quantum leaps in your business. That got me to thinking about the whole subject of the speed in which I want to do things. I even have a sign in my office to remind me not to get overwhelmed. It simply says " I control my own pace" and was handmade for me by a close friend who knew I was working on time-management in my life & business to find the perfect balance for me uniquely.

I'm a fan of starting things with baby steps. Why? Because when I decided to work on my personal development & transform my life for the better I wasn't ready or even physically and mentally able at the time to take huge actions. I had been ill for a few years, been involved in a bad accident, my finances sucked, and I felt that I had hit bottom in my life. Yet I had a spark within me, a burning desire, that there could be better things in my future if only I could learn from my past experiences & figure out how to create a better future that would uniquely suit me.

There were a lot of things I had to learn before I could take bigger steps. When it was suggested to me that the most important thing was to actually get started, I decided to take just one thing that I wanted to accomplish and break it down into tiny steps that I could follow. Doing that one thing allowed me to begin.

Since then I've accomplished many things in my life. I would work on one thing at a time until I had achieved what I set out to. In some cases that was simply creating healthy habits. Then I would choose something else to work on. It did take effort, consistency, and belief in myself that I could do it. I had to work on my self-esteem in order to do that. It was actually hard work. It wasn't easy. It took an enormous amount of energy & effort. I had to learn how to focus. Was it worth it? Oh yes. If I was given a chance to do it over again I'd have done it decades sooner than I did. That's how much it transformed my life. Now I help others do this! It is so rewarding to see people getting results just like I did.

Today my life is amazing & fulfilling. I'm getting healthier again after years of illness. Momentum built once I learned how to find tools to help me, mentors who were where I wanted to be, and got into the positive habit of taking action rather than procrastinating or doing nothing about my dreams & desires.

My point is- Get started today! Take one action towards something you truly desire to achieve.
Keep taking steps & eventually you will take bigger strides and then quantum leaps. It will get easier, faster, & more enjoyable the more you follow this practice.

The world needs action-takers. People with great ideas who actually implement them & don't just think about them. If you want to help this world in some way, do it! Just don't think that someday you would like to when the timing is better, you have more money to share, or some other excuse. Decide which charity, organization , person, group,animals, or part of the world's environment you'd like to help, and take your first step right now.

Please post in the comments below if you have made the decision to help our world in some way what your first step was or is going to be. Sharing is helpful to others too! Blessings to all who read this.

About setting an example.

2010-08-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking in depth about something this week, and wanted to share it with you. All of us are setting an example daily to everyone we come in contact with. Therefore, the example we set is highly important, and has a big effect on both our personal life and in the work we do.

While at work most people interact with several people every single day. If you are the boss you see both prospective clients as well as existing customers, work with people you outsource work to and your employees, possibly have partners or a board of directors you are accountable to, have meetings with vendors, interviewees, and more. If you are an employee your example is seen and felt by your co-workers, your boss, vendors, and customers. You may also take or teach training courses in which you interact with others.

When at home, it is your family, friends,neighbors, and relatives who are watching your example. This includes how you parent, how you behave as a spouse, how you deal with people on the phone and in person, and much more. It may also be the mail man, delivery man, service person, or friends visiting your spouse or children who is paying attention. They often tell others!

In public, both strangers and acquaintances watch how you act. Those who like what they see will often choose to interact with you in some way. Whether it be at a restaurant, park,event, in church, or somewhere else, how you act and what you say is paid attention to by all of those people in your immediate area.

When you participate in social media, those who follow you on Facebook,Twitter, and all other online social media sites see what you choose to share and form an opinion of you based on that. This is true for your websites and blogs as well. What you write has a great impact on all of those who read what you have typed. It can cost you relationships if you write something offensive-friends, prospective joint venture partners and clients, an employer who was thinking about hiring you, or some other relationship.

Choose what you want to say to the people you interact with daily carefully!

Make a conscious decision on how you want to act around others you come in contact with based on what your values are and how you want them to perceive you. When you mess up, which you will because you are human, apologize,make amends, and learn from the experience so you won't repeat it.

Decide who you want to be in your various roles that you play in life, and then start being that person.

When you volunteer, do you whine and complain about your assignments, or do you cheerfully accept them and say things in a nice way when you need to disagree?

As a parent, do you shout at your children and belittle them and show them behaviours you don't want them emulating? Or do you love them, discipline them in a wise manner, and set the example you want them to follow?

As a spouse, do you respect your mate, encourage them, give them daily I love you's and hugs, pay attention to them, and be a help-mate?

By now you get the gist of what I'm trying to express here. Setting a positive example throughout every day in every situation you find yourself in can really make a difference and change the world. The same holds true if you set a poor example. Choose your example based on the results you want to experience!

Charity:Water

2010-07-15T11:14:00.000-07:00

Charity:Water is an organization that's sole purpose is to provide clean water for everyone in the world. In poor areas where many people have had no choice but to drink filthy water that has leeches and other such things we can't even fathom , they serve by digging wells that offer clean water for entire communities.

Here is the link for more info:
http://bit.ly/duMiUR

We tend to take our clean drinking water for granted. Others aren't nearly as fortunate. As a water lover myself, this is one charity that I want to help. It can have a huge impact for quality of life, including actually staying healthier and alive, for millions of people. Disease and death from drinking polluted water are constant occurrences in some areas. We CAN make a difference!

Pampered Chef Online Party to Benefit American Cancer Society

2010-07-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

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Buy great products and help a worthy cause!

We're hosting a Pampered Chef fundraising party for our Relay for Life team. From now until Sunday, July 11 you can place an order online and a portion of the sales will go to American Cancer Society while the products are shipped to your home. What could be easier!

Here's how to order:

Go to: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/terryputt

Click: Shop Online

In the first name space type: American Cancer Society

Click on American Cancer Society/Rachel Martorano

Then shop to your heart's content!

Thanks for your support!

Rachel Martorano

Captain of the Raven's Rascal 2010 Relay for Life team

Independence Day Thoughts

2010-07-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

Today is the 4th of July, and a holiday. It's Independence Day here in the United States. It's a day that flags are flown, the words liberty and freedom get mentioned a lot, and there are bbqs and fireworks to celebrate the day. Red,white, and blue are the colors of the day.

There are some thoughts I've been having that I'm going to share today. They will not be popular with a lot of people who would rather not be informed of the state of our world today.

We who live in America or other well-developed nations are fortunate. If you have internet access and are reading this, you are wealthier than a majority of the people living in the world. We do have people in our own country who are homeless, can't afford medical care or proper nutrition, and struggle daily, and we do need to come up with some solutions to these problems starting on a local basis. Charity begins at home is a saying I heard growing up, and I do believe that we should help our own family members and neighbors.

The thing I need to share with you today is that there are children,women, and men in other countries who have far less.

With wars going on in multiple countries, there are those who have been injured and maimed , had their family members killed by the fighting, raped, and worse. They have had their homes destroyed, their employment taken away from them, and so many have become refugees.

Their are children in this world who are slaves, forced into labor as soon as they have learned to walk. Many are growing up as orphans. Their parents have died of diseases. They are now heads of the household to their younger brothers and sisters, and have no clue on how to take care of them. Others are forced into duty as child soldiers-learning to kill and see atrocities that know one should have to experience.

Unclean water is what many people are forced to drink. It causes disease and death. So do mosquitoes. Hunger and illness is all that billions of this world's citizens know! Statistics, should you choose to read them and absorb what they mean, is absolutely sickening. We are living in the year 2010 and women own only 1% of the property in the world and earn 10% of all the money.

Instead of going on and on about all this, I want to suggest that you start becoming more aware of the things in this world that need to be changed and then start taking action. My heart is heavy when I think about all these types of things. I am feeling called to do my part and to encourage others to do theirs as well.

I've been reading a book that I'll be reviewing on this blog soon that shares a lot more of the truth about the world today, and one person's story who is making a difference. Until then though, I encourage you to think about your liberty and freedoms in a deeper way today.

Truly celebrate your independence, because it is a blessed thing.

In Case of Fire

2010-06-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

Earlier I went outside and smelled the strong odor of smoke. I felt a burning sensation in my throat. Curious as to how close the fire was and where it was located, I did an online search. It turns out that there are several wildfires and other fires burning right now in both Colorado and Arizona, and possibly other places also.

This really got me to thinking. How can we personally help in situations like this?

Years ago, I lived quite close to the Hayman Fire. It was the largest fire in Colorado history.
I wanted to help so checked around. The Red Cross was using an elementary school to house a large group of teenagers who were on a camping trip and had been trapped in the fire, but were now rescued. They were staying at the school until arrangements could be made for them to travel home. They didn't have anything to do, and were frightened by their experience thousands of miles from their homes.

I was able to help by bringing soap,towels,shampoo, toiletries,snacks, board games, and more. In addition I spent time talking with them, making sure that they all got to phone their parents and know that people cared about what they were going through. When I came back on the second day with more supplies I had rounded up, as soon as they saw me they ran up and hugged me!
They told me that I had made a really bad situation far more pleasant. That knowing a stranger cared about them and knew what kinds of things teenagers liked meant a lot.

This is just one example of how to help out when there are needs that can be filled. Natural disasters happen everywhere. House fires, burglaries, and many other traumatic experiences all happen every single day.

There are many ways both on the scene, and behind the scenes to help. Firefighters and paramedics are those who either volunteer or do help in a major way as a career or job choice. The Salvation Army and other organizations also offer opportunities to help. You can donate money, goods, food, and various other needed supplies depending what needs there are.

Please always ask someone in charge who knows what is needed. They are coordinating a relief effort and you want to be a help, not a hindrance. You certainly don't want to get in the way or get hurt. Many organizations have classes for volunteers and offer information on the needs that they have. You don't have to wait for disaster to strike to find out how to help. Be proactive and
find a charity or organization or group you feel good about, and get involved right now!

Many times animals have to be rescued when a disaster happens. People who can shelter and feed animals in their own homes or donate food, animal bedding and such are real life-savers. You can let your local animal shelter put you on a list to phone should the need ever arise.

What action can you take right now to be prepared to help others when the need arises? Think of what you would appreciate if it were you, and start being of service to others today. You will be so glad you did!

All You Need Is

2010-06-18T16:46:00.000-07:00

Note: This is a delightful 2nd guest post by Barbara Winter. I love her writing style and all that she has me pondering about when I read what she has to share. Her outstanding blog is Buon Viaggio, Barbara Winter's Thoughts on the Joyfully Jobless Journey, located at http://joyfullyjobless.com/blog/ . I much appreciate her doing this for me, and welcome guest posts on making a difference in the world, informing us about a cause or charity and solutions to world issues.

There was an ad running on television a couple of years ago that always caused me to stop and watch it. It featured forty years of photos with narration that goes, “This is Paul. He’s been a Quarryman, Beatle, Wing, poet, painter, father, frontman, producer, business mogul and if that weren’t enough, a knight. The key is, never stop doing what you love.”

In many ways, that seems truly radical. We all know that Doing What You Love is not a course offered by many schools. But the notion that love is the key to discovering multiple parts of ourselves is one really far out message.

There was a time, of course, when it was assumed that a person could be many different things. During the period known as the Renaissance, when the creative spirit was in full bloom, it was not unusual for an individual to be a poet, businessowner, artist, soldier, linguist and lover.

Although such thinking fell out of fashion (and with it came less creative thinking), all sorts of people have told me they always suspected they were in possession of a Renaissance soul. I believe we all are and that feeding that soul is an exercise in love.

Love and work sounds like an impossible combination to many people, but it’s the starting point of all great (and many small) undertakings.

“The real purpose of work,” says Claude Whitmyer, founder of the Center for Good Work, “is to give us an opportunity to practice being human—to discover everything we are and all that we can be, both as individuals and as members of a community.”

Psychologist Marsha Sinetar expands on that notion. She says, “Work can be used to communicate our love for self and other. For the person who is spiritually inclined, work even becomes a vehicle for devotion, a way of utilizing one’s gifts and talents to serve others, a way of truthful self-expression.”

Lately, I’ve had messages from several frustrated people who feel stuck because they don’t know what It is for them. Nothing they’ve tried seems to satisfy. It’s a Limboland I’ve visited myself and it’s not a pleasant place to travel.

The passport out of this discouraging state is to step back and give serious thought to purpose. To never stop doing what you love, you have to start doing what you love. Yup, those same puzzling questions that philosophers have discussed for centuries still matter.

The aforementioned Paul knew from early on what his bigger intention was. He explains, “See, my trick in life is to get away from having a job. That’s been my guiding light.”

Not working for someone else may not be the only way to feed our Renaissance soul, but it’s the best way I’ve seen to develop multiple talents.

At the same time all the e-mails of frustration were rolling in, I was also deluged with messages from numerous new entrepreneurs who had a different story to tell. The common thread in each of their accounts was that their business was teaching them new skills or opening them to things they’d been avoiding.

One woman said she was finding herself in leadership roles for the first time in her life. Another is doing her first media interviews. Over and over, they told me about discovering the unmapped territory inside themselves.

Like everyone who lets love lead, they’ve discover a surprising bonus: love neutralizes fear. When that happens, amazement follows.

Then there’s this strong admonition from Kahil Gibran: “If you cannot work with love, but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.”

That sounds like marching orders to me.

Leave It Better Than You Found It

2010-06-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

Note: This is a guest post by Barbara Winter, "Jobless Muse". It is reprinted from her blog Buon Viaggio with her permission. Please do check her blog out, as she always has lots of food for thought and interesting things to share. Thank you Barbara!

Last weekend I painted a picture of the bouquet of flowers on my coffee table. After I’d finished that, I wrote across the top, “Making It Better Starts Here.”

It was meant as a reminder to me that the opportunities to improve and shine surround us. That’s why Making It Better isn’t just the June theme of this blog; it’s also my summer project.

There is no shortage of projects right under my own roof, although my plans go beyond my personal environment. Impacting a larger world starts with small deeds inspired by a conscious decision to make things better wherever and whenever we can.

It was a lesson I learned years ago from a dear friend.

The most passionate environmentalist I’ve ever known was Chris Utterback. To her, all offenses were equally serious whether it was defiling a public space with graffiti or chopping down a rain forest. She cared deeply for the earth and couldn’t understand why everyone didn’t feel the same sense of responsibility.

One day we were driving through the quiet Connecticut countryside where she lived and came across a pile of trash heaped on the roadside. She slammed on her brakes and we jumped out of the car, picked up the litter, bagged it and put it in the back of her station wagon.

As we got back in, I sighed and said, “Planetkeeping is a full-time job.” Chris looked at me as if I’d said the most brilliant thing and without saying so, we both volunteered to be Planetkeepers.

Planetkeeping isn’t just a full-time job; it’s a demanding one that requires vigilance and a willingness to do more than our share simply because it’s the moral choice.

Planetkeeping is motivated by a sense of responsibility to nature and other people whether we know them or not.

It assumes that we’ll take care of whatever is ours to care for no matter how difficult or challenging that may be. Planetkeepers refuse to be influenced by the indifference and apathy of others.

Planetkeeping also demands that we stop withholding our own gifts and talents and put them to work in the service of making the world a better, happier, nurturing place.

Imagine, for a moment, how quickly things would change if everyone went through their days actively working to improve everything they touch. What would happen to road rage? To rudeness” To the environment? To self-esteem? To greed? To our communities? To litter? To hunger?

We may never eliminate all the Pillagers who have no sense of stewardship, but that isn’t an excuse for abandoning our efforts to make every corner of our own world as wonderful as possible…and spread out from there.

Buckminster Fuller, a card carrying Planetkeeper, challenged us to ask ourselves this question: “What can I do that isn’t going to get done unless I do it, just because of who I am?”

That’s a question worth answering every single day.

Seeing Signs Everywhere

2010-06-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

Learning to be more aware of what is going on around me is one of the things that was taught in one of the modules of a class I took several months ago. I'm still working to improve my awareness, but I have begun to pay more attention. Doing that has been helping me in both my personal life and my business.

When you become more aware of any particular thing, signs will start showing up everywhere. For instance, when you buy a new car, you will begin seeing the make, model, and color of it far more often then you did previously. Another example- if you are looking for opportunities to show up, you will start finding them everywhere you go.

Since I had recently begun this blog about making a difference in the world, and finding opportunities to help others and this planet, I decided to pay more attention while on vacation to what was happening in other places than where I live.

Signs were everywhere! One business I stopped at had all the employees wearing breast cancer awareness t-shirts and were fund raising for that cause. When I asked about it, I was told that every single month they pick a different charity to help and focus on. So far they had helped a local animal shelter and several other causes. Each month they have been doing different activities to encourage people to participate and donate. They all seemed happy working there because they were helping others and felt good about it. What a powerful example for an employer to set for both his employees and customers!

At one of the fuel stops, I used the restroom designated for ladies. The wallpaper and border were hearts with different words in them such as love, peace, and giving. There was a poster on the wall about making a difference wherever you are. They had books for sale in their store with topics such as doing more to help the world too!

Over the course of the three weeks I met people who were actively helping some cause they believed in, and saw signs everywhere I went that people were volunteering their time, money, and assets to help other people, animals, and the environment. I saw families caring for each other and their neighbors. I saw businesses who were active in their communities and donating a portion of their profits to good causes. It warmed my heart.

I also heard from quite a few people about challenges they saw our world facing, and the need for everyone to pull together and do their part. They were frustrated by things they felt were out of control or in major trouble-the economy, the government, the oil spill, health care, food and other costs, ingredients and methods allowed to be used in food sold by grocery stores, the suffering of people in our own country and other lands, the education system, and much more.

So what I'm personally aware of is that things are shifting in this world. More people are feeling that we should be more united, and actively participate in changing the world to a better place both for ourselves and future generations. Join me in exploring solutions to all the people,places, and animals who need our help. Let's make a difference every day!

Thanking those who serve others!

2010-05-31T08:12:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! I'm back from a wonderful vacation, and am so appreciative to those who wrote posts for me while I was away.

Today is Memorial Day here in the United States. It's a day we remember the sacrifices of those who died for our freedom. For me, it's a day to reflect on all those who serve others, or who did while they were alive.

Each generation makes substantial changes. Hopefully, most of them are good. Each of us needs to do our part if we want the world to be a better place. We need to set the example we want others to see.

Some things you might consider doing this week- thank your relatives, friends, neighbors, co-workers, elected officials, service people, and anyone else you come in contact with who has helped you in some way. Make sure to be specific about what it is you are so appreciative of.
People crave praise, love, and feelings of worthiness. You can give smiles, hugs, words of gratitude, and if you do, you will be amazed at the way you feel inside afterward.

Today, I'd like to personally thank my entire family,friends, and relatives for all the sacrifices they make for me and others. You are all so appreciated and valued by me.

My sons Steven and Ian serve in the US Army, and I'm so aware of all their hard work. My mother-in law promotes peace, and helps battered women. She grows a wonderful garden and is an environmentalist, as is my step-daughter. My sister serves others as a Methodist minister and hospice chaplain. Her husband is a prison chaplain.

One of my cousins is a fabulous interpreter for the deaf, and her husband a pastor as well. My daughter is studying to become a pharmacist or something else in the medical field. She says she would like to find the cure or better help for fibromyalgia, which I have, and safer pain relievers and medications. One of my sons has just moved back to our town and is very helpful. Right now he is watching my yard sale so I can type this post.

I am blessed, and I'll bet you are too. Show others your gratitude today. You will be so glad you did! Happy Memorial Day and blessings to all who read this.

Gratitude Will Change Your Life!

2010-05-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

Gratitude will change your life!

It's interesting that as I was getting ready to write this guest blog post (I am very grateful to Beth for letting me do this), I looked an email which had this as the lead in:

"What if we assumed that everything the Universe sent to us was "good" for us...even if we didn't see it that way at first?

That would mean that everything that happened during our day was something positive, even if we had a negative reaction or interpreted it as "bad" initially. This new assumption would certainly change our energy quickly, wouldn't it?"

How timely is that - you know there are NO accidents in the universe.

But I digress. The point of my post today (and should be everyday) is that you must incorporate gratitude and an expression of that gratitude in order to receive the best blessings from the universe. Be grateful for everything and I mean everything even if it doesn't appear to be something good for you. The reason for this is that everything is what you declare it to be. If you declare something good, it will be good. If you declare something bad, guess what? It will be bad!

I recommend you journal your "gratitudes" as I call them. And an easy way to do that is to download the free software I created called "The Gratitude Journal" - you can get it at http://www.facebook.com/l/3dec6;www.GratitudeTracker.com .

Now downloading it is not enough by itself. You must use it!!! And you must make that use a routine, daily practice. You can't journal about your gratitude for a few days and then claim that you got nothing in return. That's not the way it works. You must make this a part of your everyday life. Think about it during the day and jot down what you're grateful for (there's a "sticky" in the program that will help those of you who sit at the computer every day).

The universe has to be cared for and you do that by thanking it. Tell the universe how grateful you are for what it's given you. For instance, today I had to go to a doctor's appointment and the parking area at the hospital is always totally full. So, realizing this, I started over the weekend saying that I was so grateful for the close parking space I had. I visualized it and lo and behold today I got a great parking space.

Regardless of the return you get, it's our responsibility to be grateful for all that comes to us. You say thank you to the clerk in a store for doing their job and taking your money. So, why not say thank you to the Universe for all the good it's given to you.

Go get your Gratitude Journal now and begin thanking the Universe - today and everyday for every single thing that you received!

Thanks for letting me be here!

Terrie Wurzbacher
http://www.facebook.com/l/3dec6;www.GettingUnstuckLLC.com

Helping through Hospice

2010-05-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

Returning the Favor

My sister Beth is on a well-deserved vacation and invited to me to offer up a few thoughts about making a difference through hospice. Every local hospice depends upon both paid staff and volunteers to fulfill its primary mission – providing comfort and quality of life for patients (and families) with a terminal illness.

Many volunteers have had loved ones under hospice care and became volunteers to simply “return the favor”. Each volunteer is carefully screened and required to attend at least several weeks of training. Becoming a hospice volunteer is an incredible opportunity to make a difference in one’s community.

I’d like to share some of the ways our volunteers help out. We have several men who come and help maintain our building. They can be found hanging light bulbs, putting up pictures, or fixing a broken door frame. Other volunteers help us by stuffing envelopes, doing data entry, filing records, delivering medications, facilitating support groups, baking cookies, driving patients to the doctor, and serving on the Board of Directors.

There are four legged volunteers who put smiles on our patients’ faces and a lovely girl who has been bringing cheer to patients since her pre-school days. Caring volunteers offer comfort through our “bereavement phone line” while others sit with patients while their caregivers take a break. Some decorate patient’s rooms and some read to patients. Singers and musicians offer music and the crafty assist patients in scrap-booking and other craft projects.

“Being there” teams give comfort and support during the last hours of a patient’s life. Volunteers can be found cleaning up the dishes, playing cards, holding a hand, saying a prayer and painting a patient’s fingernails. Dreams have come true as volunteers have pulled off romantic dinners, a Hawaiian Luau, and a baseball game under the lights. One fellow made a huge difference in a patient’s life simply by taking him for coffee every week.

Volunteering for hospice is not only a great way to make a difference in the lives of others - it offers much in return, including personal growth, newfound purpose, friendships, and a richer life.

Guest blogger: Sharon Carson, Chaplain for Wayne County Hospice and Palliative Care, Wooster, Ohio

Making a difference locally in the fight against cancer.

2010-05-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

Do you know someone who has or is battling cancer? The plain truth is that in our lifetime, most of us will know a friend or a relative who will have to battle this terrible disease. It may even be ourselves. But did you know that there is an easy and fun way to help in the fight?

It’s called Relay for Life and it is an annual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. This year, my family and I have decided to start a team and do what we can for those whose lives have been affected by cancer.

What is Relay?
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At our Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school and take turns walking or running around a track. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, our Relay is an overnight event that is 24 hours in length. Every year we line the track with luminarias honoring those who have survived or remembering those we’ve lost. At 11pm there is a ceremony and a quiet hour where the only light is from the luminarias and you walk the track in silence looking at all the names. It’s an extremely moving experience.

Relay began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Washington, ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay has grown from a single man’s passion to fight cancer into the world’s largest movement to end the disease. Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 20 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer. Thanks to Relay participants, the American Cancer Society continues to save lives.

Why do I Relay?
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is more than just an event to me. It is my personal opportunity to help save lives from cancer by supporting the American Cancer Society.

One of my reasons for Relaying is a man I've never met. My Father-In-Law succumbed to lung cancer years before I even met my husband, but based on heartfelt memories of his family, I am deeply saddened by never having a chance to get to know him. I'm also saddened for my children who will have that piece of heritage missing from their lives, only to know a shadow of the man he truly was, told in stories by loving family, but it's not the same as flesh and blood bonding with your grandpa. I would love to see a day where no one else misses out on knowing an incredible person because of cancer.

I also Relay because of stories like this: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lukejensen I just heard about Luke last Tuesday and a few days later, he lost his battle with cancer. He was 9 years old.

These are just a few stories of how cancer has entered into my life. I've had too many relatives to count who have had cancer and have heard too many more stories like Luke’s and I don't want to add anymore to this awful list. That is why I Relay.

How can you help?
1) Consider volunteering your time. In our local area, we have a Discovery Store (a thrift store where the money raised goes to the American Cancer Society) which is manned by volunteers. There are programs that need people willing to drive cancer patients to their treatments. If you have a friend or family member with cancer find out how you can make their lives a little easier and do it. You can find more ways to volunteer by visiting http://www.cancer.org .

2) Find a Relay near you and start a team. It’s really simple. Go to http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/ and in the upper left hand corner, type in your zip code and click search. After you start a team, start fundraising. We’re having a garage sale, selling handmade goods, collecting our spare change, selling Luminarias, the ideas for fundraising are limitless. Every little bit of money raised helps and the money stays in that Relay’s local area.

3) If you can’t start a team, find a Relay near you and just go to the event. You’ll have fun, meet some great people and all the money raised onsite goes to your local area’s fight against cancer.

4) If you don’t have a Relay near you, or you don’t have the ability to be on a team you can donate online. You can donate to our team: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/Ravens.Rascals or you can find any team in your local area to donate to.

5) Last but most certainly not least, remember this number: 1-800-ACS-2345. For anyone who may have questions about cancer, or who may have just been diagnosed and feels overwhelmed, call this number 24/7 and someone will be there with answers.

Rachel Martorano is a stay-at-home-mom to 4 gorgeous kids. She enjoys reading, doing puzzles, crocheting/knitting and helping others. Her main project at the moment is actually losing weight and getting healthier so she can be at less risk of developing cancer and other obesity related diseases. Her blog is http://80in08journey.blogspot.com/
You can join her on her facebook journey to get healthier at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107037375994416
She is also the proud captain of the 2010 Relay for Life team, Raven’s Rascals. To find out more about her team you can go to: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/Ravens.Rascals

Make a difference via your business!

2010-05-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

This post is focused on people who own a business or are self-employed. Have you ever taken some time specifically to think how your business makes a difference in your local community or the world at large?

First, practicing integrity in all your transactions is a must. If you have employees, you are setting an example for them to follow. They see what your work ethic is, how helpful you are, and sense how much you care about them. Your customers experience this as well.

Offering more value in your products and services than the money you ask for in return is a great way to make a difference through your business. When you do this, you create a strong foundation. Your employees feel good about working for you. Your clients refer your more often, and may become life-long customers.

Take the time to get to know and build relationships with everyone who comes into contact with you through your business. This includes vendors, joint venture partners, and others you may not have considered before.

Another great idea is to take a certain percentage of your profits and donate them to a good cause. More companies, both large and small, are practicing charitable giving. You can also sponsor athletes, sports teams, schools, or community events.

Ask yourself, are you doing these types of things to generate publicity for your business, or because you truly care and want to make a difference. In my case, I would have to answer both. Earning profits is what pays for expenses and the extras that make life worthwhile. My main priority though, is to help others. I specifically started my own business to do that in multiple ways. My desire is to help people and businesses thrive through my coaching and consulting work. I love life and want everyone around me to experience that joy for themselves!

This blog is one way I am trying to make a difference in my personal life, with no expectation of monetary return. I feel strongly that this is the purpose I was put on this earth to do right now- make my unique difference in the world and the lives of people, so it has become a part of my entire way of living.

In your business itself, you can use less paper, recycle printer-ink cartridges, and other "green" practices to help the environment. Having plants to help clean the air, using energy-efficient appliances and technology, and many other things can be done to make a difference for everyone who enters your business space. Listen to suggestions from those who have a relationship with your business for any reason- even if it's via the phone or computer. You'll receive some real gems of ideas from them!

About Libraries

2010-05-06T17:45:00.000-07:00

There are all types of libraries. Public libraries are probably the ones most well-known and familiar to many of us. In the United States, Andrew Carnegie's foundation is credited with funding almost 1700 public libraries to be built from 1900-1917. He was insistent that local communities should support these once they were built, and do this through their local tax system. Today there is a public library in almost every local community.

There are also special libraries for the research of such subjects as science and medicine, the Library of Congress, the Presidential Libraries, and those located in schools and colleges. In Salt Lake City, Utah, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has a geneological library to help people trace their ancestry. It's the largest of it's kind in the entire world! Other countries have wonderful libraries with much to offer too.

Some of you may even have your own home library or at least a bookcase or shelf full of books. Today it's possible to store entire books on your computer or on a Kindle or Nook hand-held reading appliance. Those ways are new kinds of space savers for those who are avid readers. (I personally love the feel, smell, and look of an actual book though.) Books are available in Braille for those who are blind and there are books available to listen to and just let someone else do the reading for you. Those are excellent for those who like to listen while traveling in their car. I recommend them for children who learn better by that method, so they can retain information more easily.

Books are important. Sadly, not everyone takes time to read. Reading has made an absolutely huge difference in my life. Whether for relaxation, entertainment, for business, or to learn something, books fill a need. Libraries supply a larger selection of books than you would want to buy and care for. They store them for you, loan them free, and will even special order books for you that they don't carry through a special agreement with other libraries.

In addition to books, you can also borrow such things as movies and music. Most offer a reading room with current magazines available to peruse. Libraries host events,classes,book clubs, and even displays of art and collections. They have encyclopedias, reference books, and historical records and information as well.

Libraries are a great way to save money. You can donate books or money to buy books. You can buy used books at either their little shop right inside the library itself, or an annual books sale to help the library. Many libraries have groups that specifically help the library in some capacity.

You can read to your own children and grandchildren, and help them learn to read. That quickly becomes a favorite time for all, as you bond via the time spent reading a good book together.
Spend time at your local library, and be sure to thank the librarians and those who shelve books.
Reading makes a difference. So do libraries and librarians!

How has reading or the library made a difference for you? What books are your favorites?
Please feel free to share.

Babies,bottles, and bibs!

2010-05-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

There is a special place in my heart for newborns and small children. Every time I would hold my own children or grandchildren in my arms when they were babies I would fall in love with them all over again. Their innocence, pure smile, and curious eyes always won me over.

Knowing that they are the future leaders in our world, we should help all babies, children, and their parents. It actually starts before birth. Good prenatal care for pregnant women is a must to have a healthy pregnancy. Being able to afford that and healthy food is essential. This is one way someone could help, either through financial donations or donating services or food. Fathers during this time often get left out and so can be a little jealous. Paying a little extra special attention to them can be a big help.

Those husbands could give their wives a back massage once in a while too. I know first-hand how much that would be appreciated as the tummy gets big, and the back starts to ache. Giving her a scented foot soak and foot massage would be a nice extra touch for swollen feet! The pampering you show her now will come back to you later on. This is great for your relationship.

Hosting a baby shower to have a fun get-together with the mother's friends and relatives before she gets busy with the new baby is very thoughtful. Find out ahead what things she could really use for the baby and you could even set up a register at a store such as Target listing her preferences. That's where the bottles and bibs enter the title of this post on babies .

There are teenage mothers who do not have support but who want to keep their babies. There are some places who helps these young women. If you have one near you, perhaps you could volunteer there or at least pass the information out to someone who could make use of that. You could also babysit so a new mother could have a break. I know I've mentioned it before, but that's where sharing meals would come in handy- when the mother comes home from the hospital and is too exhausted to cook.

Hospitals often have babies who don't have any caring parent to love them. Sometimes the babies have parents who were heavy drug users and simply unable to care for them. Many hospitals appreciate volunteers to rock and feed newborns and offer them love so they get a good start in life. This is so crucial in an infant's development!

A small percentage of adults feel the call to adopt. What a wonderful gift of yourself to parent a child of any age who needs one! Please be supportive of adoptive parents you know. They have some extra challenges that a biological parent does not, including the costs of adopting.

You can also create bibs and baby clothes, and put together gift baskets with such things as diapers, baby powder, wipes, little scissors, and other things any mother and father would appreciate. Add a surprise for the mom and dad.

Changing diapers isn't on the list of the most fun chores to do. It is a necessity though. Parents should take turns helping with the baby in every way. This includes bathing,dressing, and feeding the baby, taking him or her to doctor appointments, and taking turns staying up with the baby at night. Try to realize that as new parents you will be tense because this is all new to you, and you are sleep-deprived most likely too. That part will pass. Focus instead of your wonderful new family you've created, and your wee bundle of joy.

If you know someone who has a baby or young child, offer to be there for them when they need advice. Let them know you won't force it on them, but will be glad to share your experience at their request.

Let's help other people starting with our babies. They are a precious gift to humanity!

Save and Share

2010-05-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

One of the things I have done most of my life is try to find the best buys wherever I shop, whether that's at a yard sale or retail store. If it's the grocery store I watch for sales, reductions, and use both the store's value card as well as both store and manufacturers' coupons when I can. Quality of items is important to me, but if things are fairly equal I'll be buying the least expensive one. It's now what I consider to be a positive habit of mine.

Many shoppers create a price books using the information from their local stores to write down the item and price at each store. That way you don't have to remember it all in your head. It really doesn't take that long to establish, and you would just take that along with your coupon holder along to the store. By signing up for each store's savings card, you will get other coupons and offers as well.

There are coupons for almost everything you purchase, even on essentials like produce. There are coupons for services as well as products. You can find coupons on packaging, in magazines, Sunday inserts, online to print off, and elsewhere as well. There are coupon clubs, and sites online. One that I use is called Coupon Mom.

Quick tip: Find the coupon holder and price book that you really love feel good about looking at and using. That way you will be sure to remember to take it with you. Put your contact information inside so the store can contact you if you lose it.

When you need an item, you just look it up in your price book to see if it's a good deal or not that day. You'll most likely end up trying to buy extra of items you can store when they are at their lowest price, and trying to skip buying them the week they cost more. If you have an extra storage freezer, particularly an Energy Star energy-efficient appliance, this strategy can save you lots of money. This means you could freeze things such as fruit while the prices are low.

You could also try once a month cooking if you have extra freezer space. That's where you plan to spend one long cooking session per month to cook that month's meals, or at least several at a time., and then refreeze them. There are several books out on the topic with easy recipes and instructions. This will actually save you both money and lots of time. You will always have a meal to share if surprise guests arrive or someone who would appreciate one.

Shopping online is something I have had wonderful experiences with. There are coupon codes available for may online sites. Free or low-cost shipping offers abound, especially around Christmas. I've already mentioned how wonderful I think the Greater Good Network shops online are. Today, those people on their email list have a coupon code to get 25% off everything and next day shipping for only $10 with a $50 order.

You might wonder what this topic has to do with making a difference. Actually, several things.
1.First, you will make a difference in your own budget. That could help you work towards debt freedom or provide with money to follow a dream you have.
2. It could provide you with the money to buy more organic healthier food. That might keep you healthier and lower your medical bills
3.You could buy extra for the food pantries in your local area when you find a great sale at little or no cost to you.
4. You could put the savings into an investment account and have it grow for you retirement, Christmas, or vacation account.
5.You could donate the money you save to a charity or cause of your choosing. It's money you used to spend anyway.

Hobbies Help!

2010-05-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

Do you have some kind of hobby that you enjoy that could help others? Many people have spare-time activities that do!

Those who work with their hands doing woodworking could make extra birdhouses, furniture, or other things to give away to those who would appreciate and use them.

If you sew,knit, or crochet your skills could be used to help charities who distribute things such as baby items, hats, mittens, and scarves to those who cannot afford them. You could even sew curtains, clothes, or pillows to help someone in need. You could also sell your items and donate a portion of the proceeds to a cause you feel good about.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't make things for yourself and your family and friends. These are just ideas on how you might decide you want to spend part of your hobby time to make a difference so you receive even more fulfillment from your hobby.

There are thousands of hobbies, so I'll just mention a few today. Whether you do arts and crafts, music, electronics, baking, or have some other hobby you truly love spending time doing, there is probably a way for you to help others with it.

Rubber-stampers could create cards to mail out, those who show dogs could take their pets to a nursing home if given permission, or to visit a shut-in who would delight in being able to spend time with your award-winning pet. If you collect something, just showing it to others might bring some beauty or fun into someone's life.

Helping doesn't always have to mean with the basics- food, clothing, and shelter. It can be teaching a new skill, sharing knowledge, pointing out beauty, bolstering someone's spirits, helping with a chore, being thoughtful, lending a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on, giving a hug, and anything else that brings positivity into someone's life.

If you don't have a hobby now, maybe you would like to start one. They can be relaxing, fun, challenging, good therapy, and much more. That could even make a difference in your own life!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

2010-05-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

Wikipedia says, in part,that "Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a voluntarily observed holiday that commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862."

Immediately upon reading that, thoughts of other unlikely events where people experienced some kind of triumph came to my mind. Where something extraordinary happened instead of what would be considered likely under the circumstances.

The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, Festival of Lights, commemorates the miracle of consecrated olive oil burning for eight days in the eternal flame of the Temple, when there was only enough of the oil to last one.

The Bible tells stories of how Jesus was able to feed thousands of people with just a few fish and loaves of bread. There were even baskets of leftovers! The account tells that it was a boy in this large crowd who provided the five loaves and two fishes. What a fabulous role he played!

When challenges the world faces today seem impossible, we need to remember that each of us do make a significant difference.

"Johnny Appleseed" planted apple trees and made his difference.
Helen Keller made a real difference, most likely because of the challenges she faced becoming deaf and blind when she was only 19 months old. I'm sure we can all think of many famous people, as well as non-famous people, that we know who do something that really helps the world in some way.

Whether it's cleaning up the planet, planting trees that will outlast your lifetime, trying to play your part in bringing about world peace, earning lots of money so you can give it away to where it's needed, or any other way that will benefit others somehow, please do get started now. The world needs you. Every individual needs to play their role. You may feel like an "underdog" but I assure you are not. You have a powerful impact on the entire world, and for future generations to come!

Teachers make a difference!

2010-05-04T11:23:00.001-07:00

Today is National Teacher's Day.

Did you have a favorite teacher?

If you did, maybe it was because of the way they made learning easier, fun, or interesting. Or maybe it was the special way they encouraged you or made the time to show a personal interest in you. Take a moment to reflect back to your own teachers, mentors, professors, and coaches you've had in your life and figure out what it was that made some stand out for you personally. It's valuable information that you can use in your own life.

Not too long ago I read a true story written by a retired teacher. She had received a letter in the mail from one of her former students. It was something like 40 years later, and he had taken the time to do a search to see where she lived and write her. The letter overflowed with his heart-felt thanks and explained in detail how her teaching had changed his entire life for the better. He was sorry he had not told her sooner, and mentioned that.

What "got to me" most about the article though, was not how happy and fulfilled this teacher was to read this most welcome letter. It was her remark than in all the years she had taught, this was the first letter of acknowledgment she had ever received!

Please help me change this so more teachers do get to hear from their students what an amazing impact they have. If there is someone who taught you in any capacity that made a difference in your life, please take time today to reach out and let them know somehow that you appreciated their efforts on your behalf. Try to be specific on what they did that had such a profound effect on your life. If you have several people you can thank for instructing you, please do!

If you have children who are in school please talk with them about what this day means, and ask them how their teacher helps them. If the response is positive, encourage them to thank their teacher and maybe take a little present in to school this week to demonstrate that.

Parents who home school or help their children with their studies, music teachers, driving instructors,and anyone else who helps in the learning process are all teachers too. Let's all start acknowledging these highly important people by letting them know how much what they do is appreciated. We are all both teachers and students in some way.

Make a difference on vacation?

2010-05-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited about going on vacation this Friday. In thinking about that, I pondered how I could help make a difference during our trip. Here are the ideas I came up with so far:
1. Smile a lot.
2. Give honest compliments to those I encounter along the way- service stations,restaurants,stores,motels. Thank them as well for helping me.
3.Exude love to my relatives and friends we visit. Offer to help them in the kitchen. Take some of them out to eat, my treat. Be appreciative and do my best to be uplifting to all. Encourage any who are having struggles and help out in any way I can with their circumstances.
4. Realize that I am an example to all I encounter and make sure I continue to live my values.
5. Continue to have posts put up on this blog even though I'm away.
6. We are taking one of our sons on vacation with us, and then moving our son back here to live in our town. We will be loading up a Uhaul trailer with his things, and paying for that and him to go along with us to visit everyone. We also are taking him to see the rain forest, something he has
really wanted to be able to do.
7.Family is so important to me! I will be seeing 20+ relatives and friends in the three weeks. I'll give lots of hugs and kisses out and will adore holding my grandchildren on my lap and experiencing their youthful spirits once again.

I'm grateful that things are working out so well for me to be able to do this right now. Seeing all these loved ones and being in nature will help me relax,rest,refresh, and restore my being. When I get back I'll have "new and improved" energy to get back to my more normal schedule. Taking time for self-care and renewal is something essential for those who want to make a difference.
Help yourself first and then you have more resources available to help others.

Have you ever done anything interesting to help others while on a vacation? Please share!

How to find the time to make a difference!

2010-05-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

Several people have asked me how I find the time to volunteer in addition to everything else I do all week. Others have told me that they would like to help, but don't have the time. This post is a response to these type of questions.

In almost every job or career you can make a difference through your work. This also goes for stay at home moms and dads as well as homemakers. Being pleasant to those around you, doing quality work in a timely fashion, and "going the extra mile" when you can, are just a few ways to make a difference in this area of your life.

For me personally, it was just deciding that I needed to incorporate making my difference into my daily life and all that I do. It's part of my lifestyle now.

That means that in my business I practice integrity, act in the clients best interest, and add more value than what the customer pays for. At home, I do my best to create a nourishing environment, have a pleasant attitude, offer support and a listening ear, and be as thoughtful as possible. My husband does the same for me. He does things like scrape the snow off the car and warm it up for me, carry the heavier groceries in, and many more things that I am so thankful for!

Another thing that so far is helpful for me is to only volunteer for one committee or cause at a time. That way, the particular group I'm helping, gets my full attention. If I were to volunteer for several groups, I wouldn't be very effective. I'd feel overwhelmed and resentful.

When shopping for gifts I shop sites like the Greater Good Network Shops online when I can so I can help others at the same time and have a quality gift too.

Before Christmas every year, I carry dollar bills with me when going grocery and other shopping so that every Salvation Army kettle I pass I drop at least one in. I'm also tipping waiters and waitresses a little extra now.

You'll be able to think of things on your own as you go about your daily life too once you make a commitment to make it your way of life instead of just a planned only activity.

When you decide you are going to make a difference, many opportunities will appear. You may wonder why you never noticed them all before! Trust your instincts as to which ones feel right to you. Say no without guilt to any you have doubts about. I assure you that you will find the time to do the things in life that are important to you!

May snow, Summer thoughts!

2010-05-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

It's snowing again here in Colorado. By May I get a bit tired of it, so decided to write a post about summer, my favorite time of year.

There are many things anyone can do in the summertime to make a real difference.

Planting a garden and sharing the produce or flowers is one possibility. You could even can some fruits and vegetables to share later on as well if you know how. Helping someone weed their garden would be a most appreciated act of kindness. Teaching youngsters, and others who would like to know how to garden would be quite special to the recipient.

There are many sports played in the summer. Teams need players, referees, umpires,coaches, and people to supply water,towels, and awards. Donations of money or helpful things such as sports drinks or uniforms is always needed. Just ask what the team you would like to help needs most.

Pools and beaches all need lifeguards. Community Centers, Vacation Bible Schools, and others who have summer programs could really use your help. Students need tutoring in all different subjects, and music lessons to someone who couldn't otherwise afford it would be so rewarding.

How about having a yard sale and then donating what's leftover to a charity? What about hosting a block party or neighborhood bbq or potluck? That could be a lot of fun for all! Helping build a parade float or a neighbor to build a deck, or even helping to build a trail in your local area could be a part of your physical fitness program this year.

If you have young children, maybe you could find other mothers and fathers locally who would be willing to all take turns watching the kids to give each other a break while the kids are out of school.

Taking children on field trips to places such as local parks, playgrounds, or somewhere else on a special outing is a wonderful idea. Being a nature lover, I would probably take them hiking on an easier trail or to a place they could watch birds and wildlife. Playing old-fashioned games like croquet and horseshoes is another winning idea. These ideas make a difference because they show children that there is so much more to life than just television, movies, and video games. Plus, it can help them be fit. If you use the ideas about gardening above also, it may encourage them to eat more fruits and vegetables too.

Encourage teenagers to volunteer, get more exercise, and have lots of fun outdoors in the summer too. This is often a difficult time in their life for them. Add being out of school to that and some teens get bored or in trouble. In talking with teens, those who had enjoyable summer jobs, interesting vacations, or something like marching band practices to attend seemed to keep out of trouble and do better later on in life.

Update

2010-05-02T06:56:00.000-07:00

Since I first started writing this blog I have been emailing a personal thank you note to everyone who has become a follower so far. Yesterday I got a new follower and couldn't figure out who the new person to thank was, so I'm saying that here. Every single person who reads my blog is important. Although I liked recognizing everyone who clicked on the follow button individually, it's not a realistic practice for me to keep up with so I will no longer be doing that. Today I want to acknowledge all of you for being interested in making your difference in the world and reading my ideas. Together we can truly change the world!

In May I will be on vacation for 3 weeks. I already have someone taking care of our home and cats while we are away. I tell you this, because once the 30 day challenges is over and I'm on the road traveling, I won't be able to blog much, if at all. For that reason I have begun asking people to be guest bloggers. I already have a few lined up but could use more.

If you have a cause or topic that you are knowledgeable and passionate about and would like to participate, please let me know either in the comments section below or in email. This is a non-commercial blog so the posts musts be about the topic you select. In exchange for you doing this to help me , I would also like to help you in return. At the bottom of your post I will put up a little blurb that says your name, what your business or cause is about or just about you, and your contact information, whatever you would like showing. That helps you promote something in return.

Anyone who is interested will have to mail me their post and the information to place below the post to acknowledge you as a guest blogger. I will put the posts on the blog after looking them over to check content, spelling,etc . (I bought my first laptop, and one of the reasons was so I could take it with me and keep up with this blog since it's so important to me to not lose momentum.)

It would be so great if some of you would agree to help me in this way. It will be refreshing to the readers to have some new perspectives and ideas, give me a short break, and allow me to recharge my batteries and think up new posts to share upon my return. I'm going to Oregon and Washington so will be visiting a rain forest, possibly two if we get to the Redwoods again, and the ocean as well as relatives and friends. Nature inspires me and has a special effect on my body and soul.

Thank you for considering this. If you know of anyone else who might be interested, please let them know of this opportunity to guest blog as well. Non-profit organizations and companies who are doing something wonderful can be listed in the post itself. Just no solicitations of your personal business due to the purpose of the blog. Please do share personal experiences, about people who have inspired you and what they have done, ideas and topics to make a difference in the world in any way, and quality resources.

Inventors and discoverers wanted!

2010-05-01T06:51:00.001-07:00

All my life I've been fascinated by inventors and their inventions, explorers and where they explore, and people who make discoveries and what they discover.

This week I read about Chester Greenfield, who in 1877 patented ear mufflers. He had large ears and loved to ice skate, so had his grandmother help him with his idea to keep his ears warm. He was a teenager at the time. The factory he started produces 400,000 ear muffs per year! He secured over 100 patents before his death in 1937. This sure impressed me. I'm sure that thousands of people have prevented frostbite and been thankful to keep their ears warm from just one of his patents! He made a real and big difference even though he isn't as well-known as people like Thomas Edison and Ben Franklin.

Everything in this world that is not a living thing has been created by someone somehow. For me that is a profound thought. It is this resourcefulness that helps human beings survive and thrive. When someone sees a need and then uses their ingenuity to figure out a way to create a solution, everyone benefits.

What is really interesting is to see how progress evolves. Think of all the solutions you know that were thought up to address just one issue - how people around the world could communicate with one another. What came to mind for me immediately were: the printing press, the postal system,
telegraph, camera, Braille, sign language, television, radio, ham radio, Morse code, World Wide web, internet, telephone, and cell phone. I'm sure there are several that I didn't even recall.

Try playing a game with your family at the dinner table today. Pick any issue at all, and then have everyone come up with solutions either already available or ideas on how to solve the challenge you mentioned. You could use the one I listed above, talk about all the forms of transportation that have been invented, solutions for the environment, or something you think up. This could be both a lot of fun and informative. This is a great educational activity for all ages, and helps keep your mind healthy too.

There are so many challenges that people, animals, and nature still face that there is plenty of opportunity for more people to come up with new ideas, inventions, and solutions as well as to improve on what is already known.

Discoveries in the world of medicine help with prevention, treatment, and cures. Processes to find natural resources easier or lessen our energy consumption ,such as cars that get more mpg and light bulbs that burn longer using less electricity, make a real difference.

Explorers who risked their lives and faced great peril and hardships helped humans in numerous ways. They passed on information about such things as flora, flauna, climate, topography, and much more. Today's explorers study things such as the heavens, the rain forest, underneath the ocean, DNA, and bacteria.

If you have any inclination and natural talent in any of these areas I mentioned, I implore you to follow your passion. You are wanted, needed, and will be appreciated for your work. Do not listen to those naysayers who would like to bring you down and steal your dream out from under you. Parents, encourage your children in whatever area that they are interested in. Don't choose for them.

Although I'm quite curious by nature, I have never done anything that would allow me to call myself an inventor,discoverer, or explorer like those I have read about. I'm writing this post because there are is only a small percentage of the population who leans towards doing this types of work either as their life's work or as a serious hobby. We need to encourage those people who have the passion and aptitude. I've seen many children, teenagers, young adults, and even older adults teased and discouraged for having ideas that could solve a problem. It is not silly to follow through with what you are led to do.

One of the things I'd invent if I had the know-how is a self-cleaning toilet using natural cleaner whenever you flush. I know that would make a real difference in bathrooms all over the world. I remember
many years ago watching Art Linkletter on his television show chat with children. He asked several children if they could invent anything, what would it be? Most of the kids didn't have a very good answer being asked that on the spur of the moment, but one child quickly answered with much enthusiasm " a roll of toilet paper that never ends." This child showed definite signs of potential to being a world problem-solver. You may have laughed, just like I did when I heard the little boy say that, but it's people like him who could help solve major problems like cleaning up pollution, or even cure the common cold! What would you like to see invented?

Thanks for reading and reflecting on my posts. Make your difference today in your own way!

Be a friend!

2010-04-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Having friends greatly improves life. Having close friends who are like family rewards you emotionally even more. This morning, very early, my best friend who lives in my town moved away. We have known each other for about 15 years, but it's only in the last year that we lived right near each other and spent many hours deepening our relationship. We will be life-long friends.

We met while working at the same business. Right away, she and I knew we were kindred spirits.
Over the years we have celebrated our birthdays together, shared many of my family's events, her parties, walks, meals, treasure-hunted here in town, and so much more. Recently we spent every Sunday evening together watching Celebrity Apprentice and having a wonderful time of fellowship just being together to chat and laugh. (I watch very little tv but this program donates to wonderful charities I learn about each week and I glean some business insights. It's entertaining too.)

Yesterday, 2 of the 3 people who were supposed to help my friend move didn't show up. My husband and I took their places and helped load up a truck with bags and boxes. Her apartment is upstairs and has two floors, plus it was cold and snowing, so the five hours we spent really took a toll on all of our bodies. I also made sure to buy her a phone card so she could call me when she gets to her new city so we can keep in touch. It was a lot of unexpected work, and I'm sore today, but I actually wish I could have helped her even more. Already, I feel the loss of her regular presence in my life and am tearful.

Why are close friends so special? They "get" you and what you are all about, they like you in spite of your flaws, they surprise you at various times in unexpected ways, they give of themselves, show you by the way they act that they truly enjoy your company, and are there for you when you need them.

My friend has given me homemade cards which she beautifully decorated, delicious baked goods, homemade chocolate bath mix (ahh!), a sign she made for my office with the affirmation "I control my own pace," and much more. There is something extra-special about gifts made by hand or selected especially for me. What she has given me most though is her time, attention, understanding, support, a listening ear, hugs, and her love.

The way in which friendship works is that to have a friend you must first be a friend. You need to
be friendly to those you meet, and take an interest in them. Find ways to help them when you can. Share things with them that are based on their interest. Be thoughtful. Also be willing to receive their friendship and offerings back. Let them know on a regular basis how much they mean to you and add to your life. Love them.

I hope all my readers have friendships that fill your heart as much as the friend I described has filled mine. If not, please take my suggestions and try to begin a new friendship this week. It will be well worth it. And don't forget- be the friend you want to have!

Your town needs you!

2010-04-29T07:05:00.000-07:00

No matter where you are, the place you live needs you. The services, government offices,shops, parks,libraries,sports arenas,
churches,community centers, and whatever other places there are don't run themselves. They all require people to pitch in and help. The people living there all have needs as well.

Take some time this week to look at your own community in a new light. Try to see where things are not going so smoothly, and see if there is a way for you to help out. Everything from showing up at city council meetings and making suggestions, to picking up trash as you take your daily walk, to helping paint a disabled or elderly person's home would all make a difference.

The schools have lots of volunteer opportunities. When my kids were still in school I volunteered to help out on field trips, helped elementary students with their reading, graded papers for a swamped teacher, collated booklets for a project, attended concerts, plays, sports events, etc.
I donated items that the school could use. Most schools have a list. Another thing I did was to collect and then turn in Campbells soup labels for education and the General Mills points that the school could turn in for things they needed. There are so many things you could offer to help your own school district with. What feels right for you?

Last year I volunteered with my town's heritage society. One of the things I did was slice and serve watermelon while at the same time I shared my town's history and what we are doing to preserve our heritage now while still living in the present. In June I am weed-eating,weeding, and helping to plant flowers and landscape our main park. I am also doing the public relations promotions for a major town event we hold in July.

I tell you this not to brag, but to share with you my experiences so you will see that there are numerous ways to make a difference in your own community. My town has less than 500 people.
It is crucial that residents and citizens all pitch in and work together to keep the town going. We depend on tourism in the summer to bring much-needed revenue in, so committee members for all kinds of town organizations are needed. Having only a few people causes burn-out. If there is a committee where you live that you would like to serve on, please do. Your efforts will be most appreciated!

Shop your local merchants before making a trip to the big chain stores whenever possible. I have found that there is often a more charming atmosphere, personalized and better customer service, and more unique offerings in small town shops and restaurants. When you see a store go out of business, sometimes it's because not enough people shopped at their business. Make constructive suggestions to the owners of your town's stores on what items you'd like to see them offer, or what it would take to make you a regular customer instead of spending your money elsewhere.

Help the people where you are as well. Be kind, pleasant to be around,smile and try to uplift those you meet. If there are donations of your time, your skills, materials, or money that you can make to help other human beings where you are, please consider doing so. I promise that it will change your life for the better once you find your special way of making your difference!

I got reviewed, and it was excellent!

2010-04-28T03:09:00.001-07:00

Greetings to all my readers!

This morning my husband and I woke up a few hours earlier than normal. I decided to go online and see what was happening, and was absolutely tickled pink to find out that my blog had been reviewed. Since it's only been up a few weeks, with not much more than a dozen posts, I feel fortunate that someone would choose my blog over the oodles of other choices available.
What a nice surprise to start my day!

Tonight's Featured Blogger - Beth Earle - http://tinyurl.com/28eq2yb #blog30 That is part of the tweet I saw on twitter this morning. Terrie Wurzbacher, @ TWurzbacher on twitter, wrote the review. I'm sharing the link with you so you can read it if you would like to see what he has to say. I encourage you to check out the rest of his blog as well. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his posts, and signed up myself to receive his posts. By reading his blog I discovered other blogs that I like as well.

When I began this blog, I made a commitment to myself that I would be a resource for those who have that hunger inside to make a difference just like I do, and who are looking for ideas and ways to do that. By sharing accurate information on a topic, links to relevant websites, personal experiences, and inviting others to share their knowledge and experiences as well, I hope to have others join me in whatever way they feel led to do. Terrie did that by sharing my blog with others. I've been blessed in numerous ways every since this blog started. I thank all of you reading this for your part in that. All my readers are appreciated.

Terrie mentioned that I offer lots of tips. I do that because it's important for those just starting out to be able to implement things that are not difficult. Being able to do small things and see that they do make a difference, and feeling the joy that comes in doing so, increases the chances that the person will continue on that path and seek out other ways to help once they find what they are passionate about. Many people, like myself, enjoy helping others in multiple ways. Others focus on only one area. The more topics and tips that I share, the more chance I have of writing on a topic that gets someone fired up to take action.

The more men,women, and children who volunteer, donate to good causes, and who spread this message to others, the better our world will be. It's up to us as individuals to either discover what makes us tick and take regular action, or to just make a choice to start somewhere and take that first small step. In doing so, I'm sure that the individual who takes that leap of faith and begins will find their true calling. It happened for me.

Helping troops, even if you don't like the war!

2010-04-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

This post may seem controversial to some. I myself believe in love and peace, not in war. Having said that, two of my sons are currently serving in the U.S. Army, my husband served in the Air Force, and I have several other connections to people who are either currently serving or have served as well. While I don't want any wars happening, I do believe in loving and helping people,
no matter what!

This morning I discovered via a new twitter friend, Terrie Wurzbacher, a wonderfully written blog by Mike Sweezy on blogger called Reintegration Program. Helping our troops return home. This blog describes actual experiences.

Through this connection, I also discovered an organization called HeartsAcrosstheMiles .org which supports the troops. Their tag line is Serving Our Deployed Troops: Until they All Come Home. Their goal is to make sure that no Service Member goes to mail call only to feel forgotten. www.heartsacrossthemiles.org/

Since I know so many people who have served, they have shared with me that it is very lonely both when first in training away from home, as well as while being stationed in a foreign land. Organizations and people who personally help in this area make a real difference to morale. Items sent are gratefully appreciated by the men and women who receive them.

The HeartsAcrossheMiles.org website has several donation categories to help in various ways.
Suggestions on giving items for fun, practical and useful items and needs, sending food, sending to men, women, and those military members who are injured are all listed. There is even a category for sending items for Iraqi and Afghani children as well.

Letter, photos, and cards of encouragement are much appreciated by our military members. So are the toys for the children, sunblock, food treats, calling cards, and such simple things as shampoo.
If you would like to get involved, and help others in this way, please do check out the website I mentioned above.

I also discovered a site that lists military aid and assistance organizations that is full of information and resources. It is located at:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/6843832/

We are all human beings living on the same planet no matter what specific country we live in.
I feel strongly that helping others both in our local community as well as those who could use our assistance but who happen to live in a different country, and even those who may be doing or have done things that don't agree with our values and beliefs is the right thing to do.

The Golden Rule is something I try to live my life by. I encourage you to do that too.
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Reduce,Reuse, and Recycle

2010-04-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

You've probably noticed that more people are becoming part of the "green" movement. You may have even started participating in some ways small or large. Having better information and resources, as well as encouragement, all help when changing habits created over a lifetime which may not be good for your health or the environment of the planet or even your own home.

Hearing the simple phrase reduce, reuse, and recycle was my first introduction to helping the environment years ago. It was easy for me to remember and simple to implement. Reducing my carbon footprint means doing things like combining errands into one trip to reduce my fuel usage, lowering the thermostat and dressing in layers, turning lights off when not in use as well as using energy-efficient bulbs, and so on.

Reusing things can mean finding other way to use an item . I've seen lamps made from objects that would otherwise been thrown away, mantels and other antique architectural elements used for remodeling homes, and furniture and candleholders made from dead aspen trees. Tires can be re-purposed for playground equipment, garden planters, or building an earthship home. You can probably think of more examples as well as trying to find ways to do this yourself.

Buying used rather than new and passing on items to others so that they don't have to purchase new is another way to reuse. Goodwill stores, thrift shops, and consignment shops are even trendy now! I love purchasing clothes that look new, but are gently worn, at very reasonable prices.

Recycling has gotten far easier in the past couple years. My trash company allows me to put out recycling bags with paper, plastic, glass, and cardboard mixed together. I used to have to separate and sort it all and then drive it to different sites. My husband's company also offers a large shed on company property for the employees to recycle. No presorting is necessary there either. They take the heavier and thicker cardboard, whereas our trash company only takes lighter cardboard. This past weekend the next town over offered an event to recycle larger electronic items. Containers are placed in some businesses where you can drop off your old cell phones, printer ink cartridges, or eyeglasses!

In my kitchen, I have a place for regular trash and a separate container for recycling . Having a compost pile is something I plan to do in the near future so I can turn vegetable peels,coffee grounds, and such into healthier soil- "black gold" for my garden. I have cloth bags which
I can take to the grocery store. I also use them to store snacks and reading materials or puzzle books for trips. I even carry mail from the post office and both books and movies from the local library. They get a lot of use. Many grocery stores now also will take your plastic bags to recycle as well if you prefer using them, don't have enough, or forget to bring your reusable bags.

I'd love to hear how you are reducing,reusing, and recycling. What tips or suggestions can you offer other readers? If your business offers eco-friendly products, please share that below in the comments section as well. In the months to come I will have more articles relating to this important topic. I love planet Earth and want to be part of the solution to help it be healthier.

Smile!

2010-04-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

"Life is like a mirror; we get the best results when we smile at it."

This morning I decided to write about having a positive attitude and smiling more in order to make a difference in the world. I looked up quotes on smiling, and there were quite a few. One is above.
Then I went on twitter. Lo and behold, a majority of the tweets showing in my tweet-stream from those I follow personally were about attitude, gratitude and having positivity in your life.

Everything in the world is made up of energy. No matter how we are allowing ourselves to feel at the moment, we are creating vibrations that those around us can sense. Think about it- when you feel sorry for yourself, are angry, in despair, frustrated, bitter, or experiencing some other negative emotion, any people in the near vicinity experience the effects of being around you. If you are smiling, sharing uplifting and inspiring words, giving hugs, feeling thankful for the abundance in your life, and loving others, the same thing happens. People respond to your vibrations.

Positive thinking isn't a cure-all. We must take action as well to create better lives for ourselves.
It cannot ever happen though, if all we do is feed ourselves negativity all day long and allow ourselves to dwell in that environment. There are times when I feel it is appropriate to allow ourselves some time to experience sadness, such as to grieve and mourn when we lose a loved one. Ecclesiastes 3 is a Bible chapter that starts out in verse one with "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

The point I would like to make today is that if we spend more of our time in the positive realm, and less mired in blame,rage, revenge, self-doubt, and other emotions and interactions with both ourselves and others that leave us physically exhausted and even ill, we will become happier,healthier people for it. In doing so it becomes a chain reaction. The people around us pick up on that and react well to our positivity. They in turn pass it on and it continues onward. The same goes for negativity. Which would you prefer?

If you happen to volunteer and help children and adults who are in despair due to their unfortunate life circumstances and desperate need, you provide hope when you are vibrating positively.

Pay attention to those around you and how you feel when around them. If they are too negative, you may have to spend shorter amounts of time with them, try to change things around with your own positivity, or make a decision to not spend time with them.

Notice those you spend time around that make you perk up and feel good about yourself and the world. Your energy raises by being around positive people. For me it increases my motivation and self-confidence. I am more productive, reach goals more easily, and life just goes smoother overall. When I am being positive myself, I can see the results I achieve, and what others perceive and receive by being around me. That's powerful!

In addition to spending time around others who are uplifting, also take time to read things, attend events, or watch media that will help you grow in your personal development. For many years on Sunday mornings I watched the Hour of Power television show with Dr. Robert Schuller to get that inspiration and spiritual spark that helped me start the week off well. I also read his books.

In the non-fiction section of any library or bookstore there are numerous books available for self-help, personal development, spiritual growth, and more. There is a category called mind,body,spirit that also has some books that can change your life. Make sure that you follow your intuition when reading or watching though. If it doesn't "feel" right, quit reading or watching that particular thing. You want to feel truth and inspiration and insights on what can help you in your personal growth.

"Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing."
Mother Theresa

Go forth and smile!

Share and similar food programs

2010-04-23T06:58:00.000-07:00

In at least 34 of the United States there are programs operating to offer food at approximately 1/2 off retail prices to anyone. They are listed under Share, Food Share America, Harvest Sharing Inc., Golden Share Food, and various other names. Other countries may offer similar programs to check into.

These organizations, which are run by volunteers, exist for several reasons.
They enable people to eat better at more affordable prices. They promotes volunteerism. Quite a few of these programs either require 2 hours of volunteer work for each "share"-food package or encourage it. One of the places to volunteer is actually at the food distribution sites, or you can do any other type of volunteer work that you want. Some of the shares are given away free to the needy. Farmers and food manufactures and distributors that Share buys from receive revenue. There are other reasons as well.

Typically, several packages are offered each month. I'm only familiar with Colorado's Share food program as I have been a participant for many years off and on. The program I use has a produce only package for vegans,vegetarians, or those who just want fresh fruits and vegetables.
They offer a standard package which includes the produce,meats, frozen foods, canned goods,pasta,etc. There is a smaller package for seniors.

Several times a year a special package is offered in addition to the regular packages. There might be one for Thanksgiving with a turkey and trimmings, Easter with a ham, bbq meat package, Super Bowl Package,etc. There is a pantry package offered at mine that has canned goods, pasta, peanut butter and jelly, sauces,etc. Often, there is an ala carte menu to customize your order and the ability to buy certain items that are in limited quantities while supplies last. There weren't enough of these to put in all the regular packages, but they are offered due to their value and to add variety. I've even seen major brand name products offered this way.

There is a newspaper put out that lists the packages, suggested menus, what you would need to buy extra above the shares to feed a family for a month, interesting news, stories of volunteers,etc.

These organizations offer websites that you can see details online, order online, find locations of the site nearest you, the distribution date, hours to call and phone #, and any other details. There is a day at each site you can sign up at. I prefer to do it all online and then just show up.

Here's an important tip to remember- you have to pick up your shares ordered on the date and time specified. The site I go to is 45 minutes drive from my house. I sign up when I know I have other errands to run in that direction and know I can get there on the pick-up day. It's located in a Catholic church, and it's always a Saturday morning between 9am and 11am. If you don't show up your share is donated to the needy since they have no way to store the food. You can buy shares for the needy if you want to as well as purchasing your own.

When you arrive at the site, the volunteers will already have begun working hard to get the orders put together by package type and ala carte. You sign in and the orders are put together for you in boxes and they even help you take them to your car. The whole process only takes a short while. The atmosphere is cheery and festive. I think some people sign up for the socialization every month! You will see people from all classes there because it is a program for all who see it's value, and everyone eats. This stretches your food budget further in a fun way. It also is a great reminder to volunteer. Money saved could be donated to a cause of your choosing.

If there is something in your share package you don't care for, feel free to trade with others there who want what you have and have what you would prefer in return. I used to see vegans and vegetarians trade their meat for produce all the time. I have seen people trade other things as well, and I've done it myself. Packages and ala carte items have a wide price range. The main package is usually $30-35 dollars and most others are less. Ala carte items range from 50c and up. Sometimes online there are coupons codes for dollars off also.

You might be wondering what is in the average package? Usually, you get some fruit- a few apples, oranges, grapefruits, or some other type. You receive some fresh veggies- potatoes, carrots, lettuce, spinach, radishes,cucumbers, or other types. You will also receive a few meals worth of meat, canned goods, frozen dinners,pasta, and more-enough for a few breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. My guess is you would need 4 or more packages to feed an entire family for a month. I normally buy for my husband and I one or two packages and some ala carte items and then go shopping at the grocery store a couple more times that month when I have used what I bought from Share up.

Type a search in Google for Share food program, then look for your state in the results. Check out the menus, where the sites are, and information to answer any questions you have. If you like what you see, give it a try. This program helps many, and your participation makes it stronger. Often, the more people participating in an area, the lower the prices or more food in a package since they buy in bulk and can receive price-breaks for larger orders.

Shoebox Savvy

2010-04-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

When my children were small we used to save all our shoe boxes and make little rooms out of them to play house by using wallpaper scraps for the floor and walls and small objects as furniture. They sometimes cut holes in the side for windows, used sewing spools as chairs, and whatever else worked. We enjoyed both the creative process and the fun play when the rooms were ready. I also used a few to store photographs or other things I wished to save.

I would put little fun gifts in one that I called my "Caught being good" box. When my children did something without being told or went above and beyond they got to choose something from the box. It might be a pencil, candy, small toy, or whatever else happened to be in it at the moment. I ended up outgrowing the shoe box and having a "Caught being good" drawer.

As the kids got older, they stopped playing with the shoe boxes so I started trying to figure out other uses. Putting gifts inside and taping the box shut and then gift wrapping for birthdays,Christmas, or special occasions was one idea I came up with.

Eventually by accident I found what I like to use shoe boxes for now. As we traveled, I ended up with quite a collection of travel size bottles and tubes of shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash, body lotion, hand cream, toothpaste, and other personal care items. I started storing those in an empty shoe box and also added things like hair ties, rain bonnets, shoe shine cloths, and more.

From time to time I would use something out of the shoe box filled with personal care items but as time went on I actually had a couple of them filled and didn't use the items as fast as I added them. Right about then I heard from other people that nursing homes, homeless shelters, and even food pantries could use these types of items to hand out to people who could really use them. So began something fun for me to do and helpful to others as I could give my filled shoe boxes away to people who would gratefully use the contents inside.

I also came up with some other ideas on filling shoe boxes. Little toys such as Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars, stickers, Legos, bottles that have the wand you blow bubbles with, kaleidoscopes, and small bouncing balls all can fill a box to be given to Toys for Tots or another charity. They could even be given out at a Christmas party in your local community.

School supplies, office supplies, cosmetics and skin care items, and art supplies are other ideas to fill shoe boxes that can be given to those who would appreciate them. Baby items is another easy way to fill a box. The military also allows shoe boxes full of things for the soldiers to be sent via certain organizations that specialize in that kind of giving.

Another type of box you can do is food and beverages. Gravy packets,ramen noodles, hot cocoa packets, tea bags, coffee packets, and other smaller food or beverage items can fit a box to give to someone or the local food pantry.

Whichever kind of shoe box you decide to do, just do a search online to find a place in your local area who could use the contents, or ask people in the know about social services and charities in your local community. You can often get items for most of the types of gift shoe boxes that I mentioned at no cost or only a small cost if you watch for sales and use coupons. Most charities do not want used goods unless they specify that so keep that in mind.

I'd love to know if you come up with any ideas to fill shoe boxes that I didn't mention here, any specific charities who could use filled shoe boxes right now, or any personal stories you have relating. Please share in the comments section below.

Help your neighbor!

2010-04-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

In Matthew22:39 Jesus said that the 2nd commandment is "Love thy neighbor as thyself." That is sometimes a very difficult thing to do. Many years ago, families all lived near each other and interacted with each other on a daily basis. As time went on, and technology changed so that transportation made it easy to travel the globe, families started moving far apart.

Nowadays, some people don't ever even know who their next door-neighbor or who lives across from them or down the block. The chances of it being all family members living on the same street or slim or none.

If the neighbors dogs bark all the time, they leave what you perceive as junk all over their front yard, or if they drive a noisy car or motorcycle, or shout at their spouse, it is very difficult to like them, let alone love them.

It helps to try to put yourselves in their place.

First, take a look at how good a neighbor you are.
Are you friendly? Do you take care of your home,yard, and garage so that it's attractive? Try looking at what they see and how you would react if you were them. If there is something that shows up for you when you do this exercise, start taking steps to improve what you don't like.

Next, if you have a grievance with them over something you don't like, try calmly discussing that with them first. The exception to this is when it would be at your or their peril. If your neighbor is assaulting their spouse, definitely call 911. If it's a barking dog, try offering them some solutions. Let them know you would prefer not to call the animal authorities who could come and fine them or take their dog away, and say you will give them a reasonable time frame to comply.

Look for ways to help. If you have neighbors who are shut-ins, you can take food or a small gift over to them and see if they would appreciate visits from you. They could be very lonely. They might like it if you could bring a book along to read to them. You could offer to pick up their prescriptions, take them to their medical appointment, or see if they would appreciate you shoveling snow, raking leaves, doing repairs, or something else that you see needs doing.

Maybe your neighbors have children. If you have clothes, toys, or musical instruments in good condition that their child could use, you could offer them as a gift. Another possibility is watching them for a short while before or after school, tutoring them, or helping them with their homework.

Allowing your neighbors to borrow tools, movies,books, and other things is something else that could be a wonderful gesture. Having a block party, outdoor bbq, pool party, or organizing a neighborhood yard sale could be a lot of fun for all.

Offering to keep a watch on neighbors homes when they are away, watering their plants, or helping take care of their pets is something else that would be appreciated by many.
You could start a neighborhood watch group if your neighborhood doesn't offer one, or become more active in the group if you do have one already.

These are just some possible suggestions of ways in which you could help your neighbor.
I'm not saying you should do all these. It would be impossible most likely. Hopefully, these are a springboard for you to think of what kinds of help you could provide in your own neighborhood.
I believe that when you help others it will always comes back to you in some wonderful way. It could be that when you need help the most, you will have it because you took the time and made the effort to help your neighbor.

Who knows? You could end up having a new best friend, people to share potluck dinners and game nights with, or even increase your property value! Wonderful things can happen when we give freely of ourselves in all areas of our lives. You may fall in love with your neighbors, and they may start being more neighborly. Someone has to take the initiative to start it. I encourage you to let that person be you!

Have fun. Help others.

2010-04-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I participated in a free spa day held at a friend's home. It was so enjoyable to be with a couple dozen women all being pampered, socializing, eating wonderful food, and having wonderful discussions. It got me thinking that many time helping others is fun also, and that by making it fun more people would do it. So today's post will be on finding what's fun for you personally. My hope is that this will be incentive for more people to make their difference.

Since the facial, foot bath, hand-waxing, good food, and everything else I experienced yesterday is still on my mind I'll start with ideas that sprang up in my mind regarding this. Offering services like these, or other ones such as doing hairstyles, nails, and make up for others. This could be done for neighbors, elderly people you know of, people in nursing homes, shut-ins, your relatives, or whoever else you could think of.

These types of services make people feel special, uplift their spirit, and nourish their soul. So many people are lonely and there are also many who never feel special. Creating special times such as these can perk people up and let them know they are cared about. You will feel good about doing it, and they will express their appreciation in numerous ways. I don't think it's a stretch to say that if you helped some depressed and discouraged people in these kinds of ways, you could actually save someone's life!

If you like sports, you could be an umpire or referee for a team. You could coach. You could just attend a team's games and be a fan in the stands cheering them on or providing water, towels, etc. You could volunteer to be a "big brother" or befriend a young person who doesn't have support in their life and play tennis or basketball or another sport with them, play games, take them on outings to museums or concerts and such.

Maybe you like teaching. If you have talent or knowledge in some field you could tutor someone, teach music lessons, do arts and crafts, or share your love of history by speaking at a public event.

Those of you who love woodwork could create toys for needy children, birdhouses for someone who is home-bound, or even furniture for someone who otherwise couldn't afford it. Making gift baskets of various kinds for those who could really use the contents would be appreciated. Do you love to cook or bake? Volunteer firefighters, soup kitchens, churches, and many other places and people would so benefit from your skills in the kitchen.

Only you know what gets you all excited when you participate in a certain activity. Figure that out, start sharing your love for whatever that is with others, and begin making your difference now. What could be better than doing something you love and helping others at the same time?
Feel free to share some ideas you have regarding having fun and helping others below. Can you recall a special time that you were able to do this? Share with all of us so we can be inspired.

Events you may be interested in....

2010-04-17T04:43:00.000-07:00

Every week I find out about dozens of events. Many are not worth spending the time. This week I discovered two that may be worthwhile if you have interest in the topic.

The first one I'll mention is a telesummit for breast cancer survivors. It's called "from surviving to thriving" and takes place virtually from April 19-23.

On this 5-day virtual journey, a group of 10 amazing women will share their inspirational stories of surviving breast cancer to achieve phenomenal success while creating amazing lives on their terms. They will share how they turned their cancer into a gift and went on to create extraordinary lives.

Details are at:
http://tinyurl.com/thriver-now

This is a free event, although I believe that you can purchase the recording as an option if you wish. Sessions will be held on "Finding your life purpose, Following your passion, Finding your voice, Being unstoppable in the face of adversity, and Turning breast cancer into a gift."

If you know someone who could benefit from these calls, please pass the information on to them.

Next, I heard about an event called " Encore Tele-summit for Women 50+." This is geared to women over 50 who are pondering all the possibilities at this stage in life- whether to retire or start an "encore" career. In this economy many women are choosing to stay working, and they want it to not only produce an income but be satisfying as well.

This event is free, and takes place 4/24 and 4/25, 2010 via telephone. I do think that recordings are available at extra charge just as the other event listed above. This seems to have become the norm for events like this. I am not an affiliate. I just want to provide opportunities to my readers that actually may make a difference in their lives.

The information is available at:
www.encorecareertelesummit.com

If you ever hear of any events that could make a difference in people's lives in some way, please share it with us all in the comments before. If you are the one hosting the event, a sponsor, or affiliate, please note that as well.

I would like this blog to become more inter-active over time to form a sense of community among the blog's readers. The more we share ideas and opportunities that will change the world, the faster it will happen! Thanks for reading and making your difference this week where you are.

Shop Smart

2010-04-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

In my last post I began discussing the sites that comprise the Greater Good network. Every single one of these sites has their own unique goods for sale. The next time you are looking for a gift, some clothing, shoes, home decor, inspirational reading, jewelry, or something else, consider checking out these sites first.

These sites offer quality items for sale at most reasonable prices. All profits from the sale go to the charity whose site you are on. In addition, you will also see that through your purchase you have also donated more this way than from your clicking.

I have made several purchases now from multiple sites in this network, and never been disappointed. The boxes are packed well. Customer service has been wonderful when I had a question before I ordered. The products themselves have been awesome! My gift recipients have all been pleased as well.

Some of the things I have bought are:
Himalayan salt- a beautiful pale coral peachy colored salt that contains all the minerals in the human body.
Himalayan salt candles- known to have special qualities when you burn them which some say can help with health.
Jewelry-natural gemstones and beautifully put together.
Books-inspirational
Walking shoes- in size 10 1/2 US for a woman, which for me is very difficult to find.
"Green" biodegradable, colorful, and scented pet scoop bags to use for my cats. They can be used for walking dogs and scooping as well. I love this product!
Many other things I can't think of right now, and some that I cannot say since my relatives may read this and they are put away as gifts. ;)

Fair trade items, museum gift shop with National Geographic and more, Global Girlfriend, Pink Ribbon items to promote breast cancer awareness, green items, Rainforest items, handcrafted items from several countries where proceeds go to help those who made them support themselves and lift them from a life of poverty, animal items,peace- themed, and so much more are available. Even coffee, food, and plants to grow!

Gifts that Give More (TM) is a way you can help in a very special way. There are all kinds of gifts you can choose from to make a difference. You could contribute to ending world hunger by donating $1 or more, help build a school in Nepal for a $35 donation or more, feed and care for a rescued horse from $14, and so many others- 5 pages of choices!- via these sites. I encourage you to spend the time to look through all of them because even if you only have a small amount of money to give, even $1 will make a difference. It's also tax deductible. You can become a philanthropist today!

Tips:
1.If you sign up for emails from the sites you are most interested in, you will know when there is a special sale, what the daily deal is, when they offer free shipping or a free gift with purchase.
2. Shipping is a reasonable $3.95 per order but about once a month they seem to offer a free shipping day. Every day you can get free shipping if you order a Gift that Gives More of $2 or more.
3. Check for coupon codes. You can find out under current promotions on each site or type in a search engine "greater good network coupon codes" or similar. Today there is one for $5 off a $25 order.
4. Daily deals, special values,clearance, and sale items are all really great prices. Even the regular prices are very reasonable, but if you are on a tight budget it does help so that you can order more easily and be able to help and feel good about buying.
5. Since many items are handmade, often there is a limited quality of some items. If you see something you really want, don't wait a few weeks because chances are it will be gone. These sites offer really unique items. Popular ones sell out very quickly. You will get a feel for this after you have become familiar with the sites and window-shopped several times.
6.There is a search box to type in what you are looking for, but try different wording or adding an s to pluralize is singular doesn't work. If nothing comes up you can try customer service.

If you have any questions at all regarding this, don't hesitate to ask in the comments below. I wholeheartedly recommend these stores because of my personal experience with them. I was able to donate $25 immediately after a natural disaster and know that the entire amount would help right away, because they already had a medical staff to help in place to treat victims. I plan to donate more as my financial situation continues to improve. I'm thrilled that I am now in a place to give, instead of being on the receiving end. If everyone would give at least a little, it would sure add up to a lot quickly.

Shopping this way makes it a whole lot more fun! Try it and see for yourself!

An interesting way to help- by clicking!

2010-04-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

There is a wonderful one-stop website that helps many different causes located at: http://www.greatergood.com/ .

At the top of the site is the sentence stating what they offer-
"Simple online ways to protect the health and well-being of people, animals, and the planet."

There are several websites that make up the Greater Good Network. Each of their individual logos is listed on this page. When you click on a logo, you are then taken to their individual site so you can learn more about them.

One thing that is very helpful to know is that the Hunger, Breast Cancer, Literacy, Child Health, Animal Rescue, and Rainforest sites are all linked together for the clicking purposes that I'll tell you about right now.

If you go to the Hunger Site you will see a yellowish-orange box that says "Click here to give, it's free." Upon clicking it will say "Thank you for clicking. Your click gave the value of 1.1 cups of food to the hungry." Sponsors pay these charities so much for every click. You can see the sponsors listed right on that page. Their ads are the ones listed in the middle of the page. If you ever want to show your appreciation, you can click their ad and shop a sponsors store. They make this possible. 100% goes to charity from people's daily clicks.

Next, if you look at the tabs above, you will see the connected sites listed. The breast cancer site is next, so click on the tab, then click on the click here button and you will be helping fund mammograms at no cost to you.

Continue doing the same process with all the rest of the tabs across the top, and you will be making a difference every single time you click. Each site funds a different cause, so when you click it will let you know what you just helped give by your click. You can also shop on each site, as they all have their own store with related goods as well. The entire profit from each sale will go to that charity. There are many other fascinating things to share about the Greater Good Network but I will save them for another post.

Some tips:
1. Only one click per day per site from one computer counts.
2. It only takes a few seconds and it really makes a difference!
3. The sites offer free e-cards you can send via email to invites others to click.
4. If you are signed up for the daily TQ ezine from the ThinkTQ.com site, they put a link every day to the Hunger Site in the lower right-hand column that you can click from. It is an inspirational ezine that share ways to be more productive in life and business, quotes, and much more. This is how I do my clicks every morning. I get my coffee, go to my inbox, find the ezine and read it, and then click on the Hunger site logo and do all my clicks very quickly. It's a terrific, and very uplifting way to start every day!
5. You will feel great about doing this if you make it a positive daily habit!

Please feel free to ask questions or comment. I hope that I wrote this clear enough for you all to understand, as it is really simple to do. I've been clicking for years, and it's a regular few seconds of every day that I'm on the computer. I shop their stores too, and have been quite pleased with every single purchase. More next time....

Serving Others

2010-04-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

That was the insightful saying tucked inside the fortune cookie I received while dining out several months ago. I saved this slip of paper. It is a great reminder of both the way I am choosing to live my life now, and how that serving others truly has helped me get to know myself much better and continue to grow as a person.

You can serve your family, your neighbors, your church, your community, in your job or career, and even through your hobbies. It's really up to you to decide who and then how you will best serve others.

Many of the people in my own family tree have been or are currently Salvation Army officers, ministers, or lay people. I am fortunate to have such wonderful ancestors and current relatives.
I'll share with you just a couple of my relatives and who they are serving at the present time.
My sister is a hospice chaplain. She serves people who are at the very end of their life and also their grief-stricken families. Her husband is a prison chaplain, and he serves prisoners- people who are considered outcasts from society in many folks eyes.

Isn't that what Jesus did? He is a perfect example of serving others. He served the sick, the poor, the prostitutes, tax collectors, every day people, widows, the rich, and more. He didn't discriminate, but loved the whole world. "Hate the sin but love the sinner" is a quote that fits the example he set that is now printed in the pages of history.

One thing Christ told his disciples is that he would make them "fishers of men." He spoke their language, using words and parables, which were stories they could understand.

People of that time period and area of the world wore open sandals on their feet. Their feet got very dusty and muddy. Usually, the lowliest servant in the household would wash the feet of the master. It was a much-needed and appreciated service. On the last night of his life Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. He served them in this humble way. His followers considered Him their Master, and he was letting them see that they all needed to serve others, just as he had served them. The account of this is found in John 13; 1-17 in the Bible if you would like to read and reflect on it.

For many years, I was primarily a wife,mother, and homemaker. I served my family. This was through taking care of the house itself, and everyone in it, along with all those who came over to visit . I home schooled my youngest two children for several years as part of that. Now that my children are grown, although I am still serving them when I can, it doesn't take up nearly as much of my time. I have now been able to expand who I serve to include my community and my new life coaching business.

How can you serve? Whom do you feel called to serve? When will you begin serving others?
These are all questions that only you can answer. Search your heart right now. It will change your life when you become a giver more than a taker. It will also tremendously change the lives of all you serve.

What will your legacy be?

2010-04-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

An uncle of mine died yesterday. He was making a difference for me, his family, and others his entire life. He was quite an inspiration to me. He was deaf and that had a tremendous impact on everything he did. He embraced new technologies that would help him communicate with the world better. He taught classes, wrote an online daily newsletter, and was always sharing funny or interesting emails with those he loved, and there were many. I sure will miss them being in my inbox.

Sometime in their 40's, many people start wondering if "this is all there is" in life. They feel a void inside. I went through this and decided that I need to be doing more with however many years I had in my life. At 50 I started over in ways that needed improvement. I moved to a new home,
worked on getting healthier, started volunteering, became a life coach and started learning how to do an offline and online business, and much more.

Importantly, I did the inner work necessary to be happy with who I am. That meant forgiving myself and accepting myself just as I am, with all my flaws, and realizing that there is a lot more good than bad in this body I call Beth. I love myself now, so practice self-care daily. I watch my negative self-talk and have begun working at turning that into positive support for myself.

Then I began finding kindred spirits via the internet and my local community. Since then, it is amazing how full life has become, and how much better life is. It feels so good to focus on others and who I can serve. It's so rewarding to give of ones time,talents, and assets to others. It does make a difference, and others will also notice.

When I'm gone from this world, I do hope that I leave a strong legacy for future generations.
I hope that people celebrate my life and say what a difference I made, especially after the age of 50, to help the world.

What will your legacy be? Feel free to share it with us all below!

"An Inside Job"

2010-04-12T06:41:00.001-07:00

Here is a link to a blogtalk radio show today.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/aninsidejob

Saw this elsewhere online and thought someone might be interested. It's a show on working on your inner self and finding your purpose. They are having some guest speakers who are already doing that, and it says the audience will be able to interact and ask questions.

It is very important experience inner growth in order to live a more fulfilled life and accomplish more.

I do not know the people hosting this radio show personally, and am just posting this based on what they wrote about today's show in case it can help someone in their personal development.
Having resources when you start on the journey to living a more giving life is vital.

It is inspiring to see people who are already living their purpose, and many times there are some golden nuggets given in a show like this that can really help us learn some steps to take and keep us pointed in the right direction.

Finding one's purpose is like being given a road map to follow. When we have a decision to make we just see if it aligns with that or not. Whether it does or doesn't we have our answer. Knowing our purpose also brings opportunities to us like a magnet. We become more aware and focused, and so we actually see things we may not have even been aware of before. Things start coming together in a beautiful way.

If you ever hear of any events that pertain to our them on "how to make a difference in the world" in some way, please share them them. I'll be glad to post them on this blog so others may benefit.

Little things that add up to a lot!

2010-04-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

If you have been busy leading your life and never thought about making a difference before, this can seem overwhelming. There are so many opportunities available that choosing may seem impossible.

Good news! You can start small and just add things as you are ready. Follow your instincts. You know internally what your hot buttons are. You may feel drawn to helping endangered animals, going "green," visiting people in nursing homes who have no regular visitors, or something completely different.

To get started, simply make the decision to do so. Then choose one thing to do first. Here's a possible scenario for someone who feels they would like to help the environment: go online and do a search on carbon footprint, protecting the environment, or term of your choice. You will be able to get an explanation of how you personally impact this world through your use of electricity, fuel for your car, etc. Carbonfootprint.com is one of those sites that has a calculator to use to figure this out and information.

That is your first step- to see where you are to begin with. In doing this you will see areas that you can make a difference personally. This may mean that from now you will decide to buy natural cleaners, or make your own using vinegar,baking soda, etc. instead of buying chemical-laden ones. It might mean you will change over to lightbulbs that are much better for the environment. Recycling your paper,plastic,glass, and other materials is another thing you could begin doing. Next time you go to buy a car you may consider a hybrid. There are many more I could list, but I think that's enough to give you the gist.

You do not have to feel pressured into doing everything at once. Do one thing at a time until you get so comfortable doing it that it becomes natural and becomes a positive habit. That will do far better for you than trying to do numerous things at once and quitting due to burn-out. Start small and add things as you are ready. Little things really do add up to a lot!

Free Rice

2010-04-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

www.freerice.com/

Have fun, learn vocabulary words, and at no cost to you, give free grains of rice to feed the hungry! A vocabulary word appears. You are given 4 choices. For every correct answer , 10 grains of rice is donated to feed hungry people. If you miss,they show the correct answer, another word comes up and the game continues as if nothing happened, but you don't get the donation of rice. Shortly after the word will appear again that you missed, to give you another chance.

This is a great site for homeschoolers, junior and senior high students, and anyone else who wants to improve their vocabulary. I try to stay long enough each time to earn 1000 grains. It doesn't take that long, and it really makes a difference. Don't forget to pass the link on to others!

Over the coming months I'll be sharing many sites online where you can make a difference, as well as sharing volunteer opportunities offline as well. I'll be posting videos, inspiring stories of people who have made a difference or are now making one. Ideas for ways to help others, our planet, animals and more will all be included. Stay tuned, and join me in helping to change the world for the better!

Beginning to make your difference

2010-04-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

"
"If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito." Anita Roddick

People often don't think that just one person can make a difference. All of us are here on planet Earth for a reason. Every single one of us impacts those they come in contact with. We also have an impact on environment, animals, plants, and everything else that makes up our world. The only question is-do you want to make a positive difference, or a negative one?

Here is a suggestion on how to begin making your difference in the world. First, love yourself. I'm saying this seriously. You will be more effective at helping others when you help yourself first.

Having higher self-esteem gives us confidence in ourselves. It allows us to fully accept ourselves unconditionally. It is love, especially unconditional love, that creates the space for us to fulfill our destiny. It empowers us, and in doing so we magnetically attracts others to us.

Start today by embracing yourself. Give yourself a big,long hug. Forgive yourself for all mistakes you have ever made in your life. Tell yourself that you appreciate yourself as a human being, and that from this moment forward you are going to look for the good in yourself and others.