You don’t have to be Superman to contribute and make the world a better place. Daily performing small acts of kindness, showing love and sympathy, gradually changing the reality around you, you can make existence on this planet better or even significantly improve someone’s life. So, do you want to become a real hero? Let’s discuss a few ways to make the world a better place
Become a volunteer
Among ways to make the world a better place the most easy one is be volunteer. You can find various charitable organizations in each city. Go to any of them and ask if they need volunteers. It is possible that your professional skills will also be useful. For example, a designer may be asked to make leaflets, a carpenter may be asked to repair the enclosures in an animal shelter, and so on.
You don’t have to volunteer all your free time. Even rare help is priceless. But keep in mind, there is a “side effect.” You’ll probably enjoy helping others so much that you won’t want to stop.
Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology, says that good deeds bring us much more pleasure than the usual joys of life, such as socializing with friends or going to the movies.
Give the world your smile
Rejoice in pleasant little things, cultivate a sense of happiness, radiate optimism and peace. Believe me, it will be better not only for you, but also for everyone around you.
One of the important properties of a smile is its contagion.
Right now, relax, take a few deep breaths, feel the life in your body. Think about all the good things you have and just smile. In most cases this is enough to lift your spirits instantly.
Take care of nature
Sometimes it seems that one person is incapable of changing anything. But if everyone thinks that nothing depends on them, then who will save the planet? You can equally contribute to make the world a better place by
– make a bird feeder;
– plant a tree;
– donate money to an environmental organization;
– start saving water;
– reduce the use of electricity;
– replace plastic shopping bags with a rag bag.
If you’re making a small contribution to conserving natural resources and saving the planet from ecological disaster, you already have something to be proud of.
Do what you love
A lawyer who dreams of becoming a chef at a French restaurant. An engineer who wants to open a yoga studio in Bali. A receptionist who wants to be an actor of the theatre. This kind of thing happens all the time. We’re tormented by a job we don’t like and we can’t decide to change.
It’s time to overcome our fears and start creating our own bright future!
Of course, we don’t go to work for fun. But doing things that do not arouse any interest in you is the way to nowhere. Favorite job fills you with joy. If you are passionate about something, life makes sense, complex tasks become a source of energy, and the routine is much easier to perceive.
By choosing what you like, not only will you be happier, but you will also be able to bring much more benefit to others. Imagine that you start doing something that you love and believe in with all your heart.
If you manage to realize yourself to the maximum, you will add something good to the world. Something that wouldn’t exist without you. And other people – your clients, colleagues, acquaintances – will benefit first of all from it.
Call your grandmother
Scientists have found that social isolation brings us almost as much suffering as physical pain. Other studies have shown that people who lack communication are more prone to various illnesses (from arterial blockages to cancer) and more likely to be stressed than others.
The quality and quantity of contact with others affect our health and mood. Sometimes it is enough just to talk to someone and listen to them carefully to make them feel a little better. Remember the people closest to you who lack communication (perhaps it’s your grandparents – we tend to have fewer social connections as we get older), and at least just call them, or even better – go and check on them.
Offer to help a friend
Sometimes we don’t know how to help another person, but we want to be involved. In that case, we can do the following.
Write a message to a friend or acquaintance asking: “How do you rate your day on a scale of 1 to 10?”. He might be surprised, but that’s good. Your goal is to take a person by surprise by showing that you care.
When you get the answer with a number between 1 and 10, ask, “What can I do to help you go from 6 to 7?” (or “3 to 4” or “10 to 11” ).
That’s a terrific question. A person is likely to feel better even just because you’ve given him your time and openly offered support. By expressing your willingness to help someone, you show your concern and as if you were saying that you could be counted on.
Write a thank you letter
Remember a person who changed your life for the better many years ago. He said or did something for you, and you never really thanked him.
Write him or her a letter and hand it in. Three hundred words are enough: specify what the person did for you and how it affected your life. Tell this person what you are doing now and how often you remember what he or she did.
Such a letter will make both you and your recipient happier.
Focus on loving kindness
There is a very simple but useful 10-second exercise. Choose two people (they can be your acquaintances, relatives, colleagues or random passers-by in the street) and mentally say: “I wish this person happiness.” This is it.
You do not have to say or do anything, you just have to think. As experiments show, it is enough to experience the joy of loving kindness.
Remember: To change the world for the better, you must start with yourself. May loving kindness and compassion become your main reference point!