Ten Things You Can Do to Make a Better World

Commit Random Acts of Kindness

How underrated a genuine moment of kindness to another can be. Whether large or small gesture, being kind to someone can make them feel there is hope for the world, and possibly change their whole day. As a friend once said, ‘be kind to others, for you may not know what they’re going through at that moment.

 

Share Something Positive

When you share good news, inspiration or even just a good idea with someone… you show them that there’s more than just ‘bad news’ in the world and lift them up.  Studies have shown that even watching or reading the daily news can lower morale or depress people. Not an invitation to bury one’s head in the sand, but a plea for balance in one’s life. For when you share something positive with others you’re reminding them (and yourself) that there is also ‘good’ occurring in the world.  And contributing to that positive energy is contagious.

 

Be Creative, Beautify or Enhance

Aesthetics is a very powerful medium, as it exists at a very fine wave-length of physical universe energy, so that we actually feel a spiritual lift when we experience it. It doesn’t matter if we are painting a picture, designing a room, watering the garden or caring for our plants. Any time we do something to bring more beauty or enhancement to the world …we are increasing the survival of the thing being enhanced, along with ourselves!  Humans need to see beauty in their environment and tend to feel better when doing something creative, even if its just fixing something so it works better.  There are many ways to bring aesthetics to your world, but even the smallest things count; such as experiencing beautiful music or getting involved in a DIY project which leads to further creativity. Whether for body, mind or soul, everything responds positively to aesthetics and survives better when we beautify it.

 

Think for Yourself

Thinking for oneself means observing with one’s own eyes and seeing whats really there, so that ones opinion becomes truly one’s own, instead of someone else’s.  Not every truth is popular or simple to arrive at, but any effort used to get at the real truth of something…will always pay off in the end.

Popular culture may insist that one follow a popular trend or dictum, as these seem reasonable on the surface. But digging a bit deeper, and using original sources for the subject at hand, may reveal more to the story. There is a time for counsel with others and a time to trust one’s own intuition and judgment. For being able to think for one self ultimately means being able to trust oneself and his integrity. And when we intend to do this, the answers that are right for us tend to emerge.

 

Bring Joy and the Spirit of Play

Life is full of challenges, and sometimes in the desire to be diligent about life’s duties…we forget about our duty to ourselves; which is to experience joy and light-hardheartedness wherever we can….and share it with others!  In a world where cynicism and ridicule often pass for humor…people need to experience lighthearted humor … which is therapeutic. Throwing one’s head back and laughing freely dissipates worry, strengthens the immune system and helps people feel better. For when we share light moments of playfulness we experience the joy of being young again.

 

Create Trust

It has been said that in order to trust others, we must first be able to trust ourselves.  And in a culture where the media spreads fear on a daily basis, people don’t always know who or what to trust. They sometimes feel betrayed by what they see or read, and can then be suspect – even of those who are well-meaning.  So what’s the answer? When we are honest with ourselves, make an effort to honor promises made, and are sincere in our actions… we build trust. And this inspires others to do the same.

Perfection is not the goal, but caring enough to do our best should be.  And by setting an example of trust in one’s immediate environment, we’re not only demonstrating that real trust is possible but helping to create a safer world in the process. For safe environments have always been built by trustworthy people.

 

Acknowledge or Say Thank You

 In an electronic age where we often have too much communication coming at us from too many sources, replying back to others can get lost in the fray. And sometimes not being able to handle it all can cause some to give up trying.  Of course this is a judgement call – but if its mail that is relevant and from those of good intention … a simple reply may prevent the need for multiple follow-ups.

Sometimes these small niceties are lost only because one’s time is precious. But in a fast moving world where interactions tend to be more online than off, taking a moment to reply can mean the difference between understanding or misunderstanding. Also, losing these small gestures culturally, can eventually breed indifference and apathy, where people begin to excuse anything with a shrug of ‘why bother’ – causing common courtesy to fly right out of the window!

So we have to ask ourselves – what kind of world do we want: an indifferent, uncaring one?  Or the opposite. For courtesy, like good manners, lets others know that they matter. And it is these little courtesies that form the social oil that keep relationships running smoothly, whether family, friends or business.  So would you say that the culture could use a little more social oil?  Well…you’ve got the oil can!

 

Get Involved

That’s right…I said the “I” word: Involved. They say there are two kinds of people in the world – ‘participants’ and ‘spectators.’  Spectators sit back and ‘watch life’… participants get in and ‘live it’ as they like being a part of things.  So never mind being politically correct, find a way to take up the torch for those things you care about, or feel could use a helping hand. The effort can be as small as signing a petition, or sending an email, but there’s something therapeutic about using one’s own energy and time to help a cause that matters. And its been shown that those who get involved in activities that help an area of life, are not prone to depression and are happier in general, as they are ‘doing something about it’, which puts them at cause…rather than the ‘effect’ of life.

 

Remember the Golden Rule

A universal precept from Buddha to the Bible, this reference has stood the test of time in many languages. The Golden Rule is a little like on-going karma: where our actions always come back to help us or haunt us.

Sometimes the simplicity of ‘doing unto others as we would have them do unto us’ gets lost in an era of lowered standards, lost morals or bad examples set on TV or in film. However there are universal laws at work here that demonstrate a kind of karmic justice system that eventually leads people to experience happiness or unhappiness. But the beauty of the rule is that by setting a good example for those around us, and treating them as we would wish to be treated…we end up creating more happiness for ourselves anyway!  A happy consequence that can easily spread, and definitely does help – to make a better world.