- CHANGING THE WORLD ONE GIVE AT A TIME
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6 YouTube Videos that Will Inspire You to Do Good for #Do1Give Day!
April 24, 2023
How to Have a Good Life with this Simple Practice Every Day
May 1, 2023
April 27th is #Do1Give Day. Performing an act of kindness every day sounds nice, but it might be challenging to remember to give if you are having a busy or stressful week. Fear not! Here are five give ideas you can incorporate easily into your day.
1] Be the Best Version of Yourself
“Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.” (William J. Thoms)
You don’t have to be the most powerful or successful person to change people’s lives or the world. You can still be a powerful and inspirational example to others simply by being your best, authentic self.
My mom finds joy and appreciation in everyday, simple things despite suffering from physical disability and illness. She is by no means perfect or saintly (otherwise, she and I would not be bickering at all!), but her love of life rubs off on others. She has a friend, a widow in her 70s who used to be a business owner. All she did every day was to watch her store, and she hardly socialized with anyone or did anything fun for herself. However, after years of friendship with my mom, she saw how much my mom enjoyed her life… and she realized she wanted the same for herself. She sold her business, and moved in with her daughter and her family in a different city. She’s now enjoying her life in a big city, spending time with her family and new friends.
Find ways to make your own life rich and joyful. Love yourself and appreciate your strengths, and work on accepting and improving on your weaknesses… and you just may help someone do the same for themselves. By giving love and care to yourself, you can show others how to love and care for themselves. That’s how you can change the world, one person at a time… starting with yourself.
2] Go On a “Complaint Cleanse”
Life is challenging, isn’t it? You’re going through a lot these days – COVID-19, inflation and rising cost of living, fear of recession… throw in some controlling bosses, annoying co-workers, and random person yelling at you on the street, and you might be just about ready to explode and go on a verbal rampage of everything that’s wrong with the world.
It can be healthy to talk to someone about your challenges and feelings (e.g., with a therapist, a counsellor, or a friend), but doing it too often can affect ourselves and our relationships negatively (Compton, 2019). Think of how you feel around people who focus only on the negative and fail to see the good in their lives.
Next time you feel like complaining, pause for a moment and turn it around to find something positive about your situation, or come up with a solution to your issue. Phrase your complaint into something more constructive. Complaint cleanse can help you to change your perspective and habit of looking for and focusing on the bad (Compton, 2019). Often, it is not what happens to you that is stressful, but how you perceive and react to it.
3] Modify Your Cleaning and Washing Routines
Last month, we showed you 10 Ways to Conserve Water for World Water Day Here’s another water-related give that helps the planet and your budget!
If your house is like mine, you’ll get cold water the moment you turn on the tap, and it will take several seconds before you get hot water. It can be annoying (especially during cold days) to have to wait for hot water for brushing teeth or taking a shower.
Instead of letting cold water run and waste it, change your cleaning and washing routines to use it up. For example, my daily body care routine begins with washing my face. By the time I need to brush my teeth, the water is hot enough. I also try to flush the toilet or clean bath items before I shower.
If you have your own ways of using up cold water instead of letting it run, comment below!
4} Floss… with Eco-Friendly Dental Floss
OK, this one might sound like an odd idea for a give, but please hear me out. I’ve known people who, despite their diligent daily tooth-brushing, still get cavities because they don’t floss. Over 50% of Canadians (Narrative Research, 2022) and 70% of Americans (Sternberg, 2016) don’t floss daily. Not flossing regularly can cause oral diseases (e.g., gum diseases and inflammation, gum and bone erosion, and tooth loss) (Sternberg, 2016), and can be linked to dementia, brain abscess, diabetes, kidney disease, ulcers, pregnancy complications, and respiratory diseases (e.g., pneumonia, lung infection) to name a few (Southwest Smiles, 2017). Flossing your teeth is definitely a huge give to yourself.
And if you’re already flossing, you can do a planet-give by switching to earth-friendly, biodegradable dental floss. I’ve used natural silk floss that worked better than synthetic ones. It feels good to know that you can take care of your (oral) health and the planet at the same time. Throw in biodegradable toothbrush and plastic-free toothpaste (e.g., chewable toothpaste), and your entire oral care routine can be earth-friendly!
5] Carry Extras With You
A lady next to you in the doctor’s office sneezes, and there is no tissue around. Your classmate is panicking, because he doesn’t have an eraser for his math test. You can be a hero and save the day!
It’s a smart idea to carry useful items like tissue or a pen you can use when you are out and about. Why not carry some extras to share with (better yet, give away to) people you meet? I know I am forever asking my mom for a pen when we are out and I need to write down something important. A friend of mine, even though he doesn’t own a dog, always carries dog treats, and he is every dog’s best friend. By carrying and providing extras of simple items, you can make other people’s lives easier wherever you might be.
I hope these five ideas can help you become an everyday giver. If you think of other easy-to-implement ideas for giving, please comment below. We’d love to hear your ideas.
For #Do1Give Day, remember to post your give to social media, tag us at #Do1Give or email us at [email protected] to get counted in this year’s total. Visit 365give.ca for more information or a guide on what to do on #Do1Give Day!
Sources:
Compton, J. (2019, April 25). Are you a chronic complainer? Here’s how a ‘complaint cleanse’ can help. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/are-you-chronic-complainer-here-s-how-complaint-cleanse-c an-ncna994031 Narrative Research. (2022, September 1).
Almost half of Canadians report they floss their teeth once a day or more often, while one in five floss less often than once a month or not at all. https://narrativeresearch.ca/almost-half-of-canadians-report-they-floss-their-teeth-once-a-day-or-moreoften-while-one-in-five-floss-less-often-than-once-a-month-or-not-at-all/ Southwest Smiles. (2017, December 12).
What Happens When You Don’t Floss? https://www.circlecsmiles.com/blog/what-happens-dont-floss/ Sternberg, S. (2016, May 2). How Many Americans Floss Their Teeth? U.S. News. https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-05-02/how-many-americans-floss-their-teethcarryingandprovidingextrasofsimpleitems,youcanmakeotherpeople’sliveseasierwhereveryoumightbe.Ihopethesefiveideascanhelpyoubecomeaneverydaygiver.Ifyouthinkofothereasy-to-implementideasforgiving,pleasecommentbelow.We’dlovetohearyourideas.SourcesCompton,J.(2019,April25).
Areyouachroniccomplainer?Here’showa’complaintcleanse’canhelp.NBCNews.https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/are-you-chronic-complainer-here-s-how-complaint-cleanse-can-ncna994031NarrativeResearch.(2022,September1).AlmosthalfofCanadiansreporttheyflosstheirteethonceadayormoreoften,whileoneinfiveflosslessoftenthanonceamonthornotatall.https://narrativeresearch.ca/almost-half-of-canadians-report-they-floss-their-teeth-once-a-day-or-more-often-while-one-in-five-floss-less-often-than-once-a-month-or-not-at-all/SouthwestSmiles.(2017,December12).
WhatHappensWhenYouDon’tFloss?https://www.circlecsmiles.com/blog/what-happens-dont-floss/Sternberg,S.(2016,May2).HowManyAmericansFlossTheirTeeth?U.S.News.https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-05-02/how-many-americans-floss-their-teeth
Theresa Kim
I am a polymath with many, many interests and passions that include writing, visual arts, mathematics, social justice, and helping others in any way I can. I hope to make the world a better place through words of inspiration, encouragement, and empowerment... with a good dose of my quirky sense of humour!
