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Saturday, November 10, 2012

Start Saving the World Today


Chances are, you're wondering by now, what this girl actually does to save the world. Hopefuly you are also wondering what you can do.  So here's a starting point.
17 Ways to start saving the world today:

1.       Collect smiles.  How many people can you get to smile every day? You can get smiles by doing anything.  This can range from giving them a sincere compliment, helping them out with homework or a heavy load of books, paying for someone’s lunch, or a simple “hello” in the hallway.  Keep a record of the number of smiles you get per day.  This insures that you will try hard to obtain as many as possible because no one wants to write down “Zeros smiles today.  I failed.”

2.       Buy flowers for someone.  For your spouse, girlfriend, best friend, teacher, grandma, coworker, you name it.  Something as simple as a flower can make someone's day.  And that's exactly what you are trying to do, right?
 
3.       Leave thoughtful notes around the house where you know a family member will find it. Leave a joke on your mom's bedside table if you are traveling for the weekend and you want to let her know that you are thinking of her. Or you might place an "I love you" by your husband's work computer before you leave.

4.       Leave anonymous notes around the office, school, on the bus, on airplane seats, in the grocery store, etc. with inspirational quotes on them.

5.       Bake something. I love to make cupcakes for my lunch table to surprise them.  We always leave the cafeteria happier than when we entered.

6.       Encourage people to follow their dreams. Take it from someone who has been on the other side of a few words of encouragement; sometimes, it can make all the difference in the world.  Before one of my first cross country races, fear was plastered on my face. My anxiety was so obvious, one of the captains came to talk to me. She looked me in the eye and said "You can do this. I believe in you." Then, I believed in me too.

7.       Buy someone’s lunch anonymously or pay the car behind you's toll on the highway.

8.       Make a friendship bracelet. Give it away.

9.       Do you have a hero? Let them know how much they mean to you.  I can guarentee that they will never forget that moment of their life.

10.  While eating out at a resurant, don't stuff yourself full with the food on your plate. Eat until you are full, and then give the rest to the homeless man or woman sitting outside.
 
11.   Find someone that eats lunch alone and join them.

12.   Visit Six Billion Secrets.  This site is a list of secrets from anonymous contributors who are going through rough times and just want someone to know what is going on in their life. Comment on the secrets and give advice and words of wisdom.

13.   Next time you see a member of the armed forces in uniform, go over and shake his/her hand and thank them for their service. Want to go a step further? Buy them lunch and sit down with them for a while.

14.   Adopt a hero. Be connected with a member of the armed forces and send them a few letters and care packages each month.  Help bring them hope while overseas. 

15. Visit an older teacher, neighbor, or relative.  Sit down with them for a while and talk about how they impacted your life.

16. Write a letter to the janitor, mailman, fire department, police deparment, etc. thanking them for their hard work and dedication.  You could even make them cookies.

17.   Connect with strangers online.  Got an hour to spare? Head over to BLAHTherapy or the Compassion Pit and lend a listening ear to someone who needs advice or just wants someone to talk to.  Be there for someone who had a hard day at work or needs advice on a personal issue.  Sometimes, you might talk someone out of suicide.  Warning: This is not to be taken light heartedly and conversing with strangers about tough stuff can be very emotional.  However, it is truly rewarding and I encourage it whole heartedly if you are serious about making a difference.

So there you go: seventeen ways to save the world.  If I am seventeen and I can do all of them, then you can do atleast one.  

To be continued…..

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