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39 Small Things You Can Do Every Day To Make A Better World

David is a publisher and entrepreneur who tries to help professionals grow their business and careers, and gives advice for entrepreneurs. Read full profile

39 Small Things You Can Do Every Day To Make A Better World

We would all like to live in a kinder, greener, less stress-filled world, right? A world where our kids can thrive and be happy. But the world in general is bogged down by real struggles against poverty, disease, crime, violence, environmental degradation, ignorance and so on, which constitutes much pain.

Anyone can complain, point fingers and shift blame for the problems that plague our world today, but it takes a difference maker to initiate a positive change in the world. It takes a better man or woman to acknowledge the issues in our world and take small steps toward making a positive difference.

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Small actions done with care and a pure heart every day have tremendous value and can influence the world around you, as well as the world at large. While the contents of this list might not be new, they bear repeating. Sometimes it takes a few reminders for things to sink in.

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Here are 39 little things you can do every day to make it a better world.

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Say hello to people you meet on the streets. 80% of the people you meet are generally good, decent people
Laugh and give others the benefit of a doubt. You might be wrong, but so what? Laughter is contagious
Give free hugs. Apart from reducing stress and tension, it’s a gift that is immediately reciprocated and will make people feel great, even long after
Smile at the cashier, waiter, barista, parking ramp attendant etc., and ask them how they are doing. Everyone wants to feel love, connection and affection
Really listen to what people have to say (intently) without interrupting or waiting impatiently for your turn to speak
Find some aspect to appreciate in the people you meet and pass along compliments
Offer directions to people who seem lost
Support someone who’s striving for a goal with your money, advice, presence or other form of support
Babysit for free
Provide a foster home for an animal in need
Feed domestic animals and birds (if you have any) and give them enough water to drink
Water your plants, lawn and or garden early in the morning before any moisture is lost to evaporation
Leave treats out for pets, wildlife and other furry friends to enjoy, such as nuts for the squirrels, a salt lick for the deer or simply fill up the bird feeder
Be patient, kind and respectful to people who are older than you
Respect people’s property and don’t take it without permission, trespass or damage maliciously. Instead protect and keep it safe
Hold doors for people carrying heavy things, pushing strollers or just immediately behind you
Offer to return grocery carts for those who are leaving when you are going toward the store entrance
Refer your friends, family, relatives and or acquaintances to qualified service providers
Help a neighbor with a task, such as taking trash to the curb, raking extra leaves or running an errand
Share a special meal with those you care about
Create necessity packs and give them to those unsure of where their next meal or shelter is going to come from
Drive responsibly, making sure to obey stop lights, traffic rules and keep a safe distance between you and the car ahead
Give preference to pedestrians, motorists or other road users at intersections. The person behind you might not approve, but kindness starts with you
Offer your seat to someone who needs it
Read to the kids, the elderly and or the shut-ins
Donate what you don’t need in your house to shelters, the Salvation Army, or other institutions serving those in need
Let someone off the hook for a mistake or misdeed and see how it makes both of you feel
Save your recyclable trash till you find someplace to recycle them
Turn off your computer instead of leaving it in sleep mode. You can save 40 watt-hours per day
Turn off the lights and faucet when not in use
Turn on the oven only when you put the dish in to save energy. Don’t pre-heat the oven unless you are making bread or pastries of some sort
Use one less napkin a day. More than a billion pounds of napkins could be saved from landfills each year
Use both sides of paper, and set your printer’s default option to print double-sided (duplex printing). You’ll be saving many trees
Recycle your daily newspaper. Recycling just the Sunday papers would save more than half a million trees every week
Ban bath time! Take showers instead. Baths require almost twice as much water and inflate energy costs for heating the water
Brush without running the water. You’ll conserve up to five gallons per day if you stop running
Shower with your partner. Not only will you have made a wise choice for the environment, but you may notice some other pleasant… benefits
Take a shorter shower. Every two minutes you save on your shower can conserve more than ten gallons of water
Make art—paint, sculpt, sketch, write, compose music, create dance moves—whatever it is. Do it and finish it. It will add color to the world

Remember every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play to make this world a better place.

Featured photo credit: World In Your Hands via stokpic.com

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Last Updated on January 18, 2019

7 Ways To Deal With Negative People

Jon Negroni

Read full profile

Some people will have a rain cloud hanging over them, no matter what the weather is outside. Their negative attitude is toxic to your own moods, and you probably feel like there is little you can do about it.

But that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

If you want to effectively deal with negative people and be a champion of positivity, then your best route is to take definite action through some of the steps below.

1. Limit the time you spend with them.

First, let’s get this out of the way. You can be more positive than a cartoon sponge, but even your enthusiasm has a chance of being afflicted by the constant negativity of a friend.

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In fact, negativity has been proven to damage your health physically, making you vulnerable to high levels of stress and even cardiac disease. There’s no reason to get hurt because of someone else’s bad mood.

Though this may be a little tricky depending on your situation, working to spend slightly less time around negative people will keep your own spirits from slipping as well.

2. Speak up for yourself.

Don’t just absorb the comments that you are being bombarded with, especially if they are about you. It’s wise to be quick to listen and slow to speak, but being too quiet can give the person the impression that you are accepting what’s being said.

3. Don’t pretend that their behavior is “OK.”

This is an easy trap to fall into. Point out to the person that their constant negativity isn’t a good thing. We don’t want to do this because it’s far easier to let someone sit in their woes, and we’d rather just stay out of it.

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But if you want the best for this person, avoid giving the false impression that their negativity is normal.

4. Don’t make their problems your problems.

Though I consider empathy a gift, it can be a dangerous thing. When we hear the complaints of a friend or family member, we typically start to take on their burdens with them.

This is a bad habit to get into, especially if this is a person who is almost exclusively negative. These types of people are prone to embellishing and altering a story in order to gain sympathy.

Why else would they be sharing this with you?

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5. Change the subject.

When you suspect that a conversation is starting to take a turn for the negative, be a champion of positivity by changing the subject. Of course, you have to do this without ignoring what the other person said.

Acknowledge their comment, but move the conversation forward before the euphoric pleasure gained from complaining takes hold of either of you.

6. Talk about solutions, not problems.

Sometimes, changing the subject isn’t an option if you want to deal with negative people, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still be positive.

I know that when someone begins dumping complaints on me, I have a hard time knowing exactly what to say. The key is to measure your responses as solution-based.

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You can do this by asking questions like, “Well, how could this be resolved?” or, “How do you think they feel about it?”

Use discernment to find an appropriate response that will help your friend manage their perspectives.

7. Leave them behind.

Sadly, there are times when we have to move on without these friends, especially if you have exhausted your best efforts toward building a positive relationship.

If this person is a family member, you can still have a functioning relationship with them, of course, but you may still have to limit the influence they have over your wellbeing.

That being said, what are some steps you’ve taken to deal with negative people? Let us know in the comments.

You may also want to read: How to Stop the Negative Spin of Thoughts, Emotions and Actions.

39 Small Things You Can Do Every Day To Make A Better World

Say hello to people you meet on the streets. 80% of the people you meet are generally good, decent people

Laugh and give others the benefit of a doubt. You might be wrong, but so what? Laughter is contagious

Give free hugs. Apart from reducing stress and tension, it’s a gift that is immediately reciprocated and will make people feel great, even long after

Smile at the cashier, waiter, barista, parking ramp attendant etc., and ask them how they are doing. Everyone wants to feel love, connection and affection

Really listen to what people have to say (intently) without interrupting or waiting impatiently for your turn to speak

Find some aspect to appreciate in the people you meet and pass along compliments

Offer directions to people who seem lost

Support someone who’s striving for a goal with your money, advice, presence or other form of support

Babysit for free

Provide a foster home for an animal in need

Feed domestic animals and birds (if you have any) and give them enough water to drink

Water your plants, lawn and or garden early in the morning before any moisture is lost to evaporation

Leave treats out for pets, wildlife and other furry friends to enjoy, such as nuts for the squirrels, a salt lick for the deer or simply fill up the bird feeder

Be patient, kind and respectful to people who are older than you

Respect people’s property and don’t take it without permission, trespass or damage maliciously. Instead protect and keep it safe

Hold doors for people carrying heavy things, pushing strollers or just immediately behind you

Offer to return grocery carts for those who are leaving when you are going toward the store entrance

Refer your friends, family, relatives and or acquaintances to qualified service providers

Help a neighbor with a task, such as taking trash to the curb, raking extra leaves or running an errand

Share a special meal with those you care about

Create necessity packs and give them to those unsure of where their next meal or shelter is going to come from

Drive responsibly, making sure to obey stop lights, traffic rules and keep a safe distance between you and the car ahead

Give preference to pedestrians, motorists or other road users at intersections. The person behind you might not approve, but kindness starts with you

Offer your seat to someone who needs it

Read to the kids, the elderly and or the shut-ins

Donate what you don’t need in your house to shelters, the Salvation Army, or other institutions serving those in need

Let someone off the hook for a mistake or misdeed and see how it makes both of you feel

Save your recyclable trash till you find someplace to recycle them

Turn off your computer instead of leaving it in sleep mode. You can save 40 watt-hours per day

Turn off the lights and faucet when not in use

Turn on the oven only when you put the dish in to save energy. Don’t pre-heat the oven unless you are making bread or pastries of some sort

Use one less napkin a day. More than a billion pounds of napkins could be saved from landfills each year

Use both sides of paper, and set your printer’s default option to print double-sided (duplex printing). You’ll be saving many trees

Recycle your daily newspaper. Recycling just the Sunday papers would save more than half a million trees every week

Ban bath time! Take showers instead. Baths require almost twice as much water and inflate energy costs for heating the water

Brush without running the water. You’ll conserve up to five gallons per day if you stop running

Shower with your partner. Not only will you have made a wise choice for the environment, but you may notice some other pleasant… benefits

Take a shorter shower. Every two minutes you save on your shower can conserve more than ten gallons of water

Make art—paint, sculpt, sketch, write, compose music, create dance moves—whatever it is. Do it and finish it. It will add color to the world

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7 Ways To Deal With Negative People

1. Limit the time you spend with them.

2. Speak up for yourself.

3. Don’t pretend that their behavior is “OK.”

4. Don’t make their problems your problems.

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5. Change the subject.

6. Talk about solutions, not problems.

7. Leave them behind.

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