How Can I Make a Difference in The World?

With all the negative in the world, with all the bad news and poverty, with all the crime , unemployment and everything else we read, hear and see, how can we make a positive difference in the world?

You don’t have to have a multi billion dollar foundation like Bill Gates. You don’t even need any money at all(or just some pocket change). You don’t need hours upon hours each and every day. Just a few minutes or even seconds occasionally will work wonders.

How do I do that? you ask… Glad you asked!

There is a large group of people who are just about abandoned and in many times forgotten by their family and friends. These people worked there whole lives, paid taxes, raised families, voted, volunteered and so much else and now they are alone and deserted. Who am I talking about? The elderly that reside in nursing care centers across the country. During my nursing career, I worked or trained at 6 different nursing homes. At each place there were several residents that received few or no visitors at all. The only people they see are the ones that care for them 24/7/365. I remember one lady that had not gotten a visitor in over 10 years. She was fully cognizant and aware of that but had accepted it as a fact of life. So why not take an afternoon and visit a nursing home in your area and ask if there is anyone not receiving visitors and go say hi. Students… why not interview them for a history paper? Their stories are rich and full of life.

What else can you do? Encourage someone having a rough time of it. We all know people who are unemployed. Hey I’m one of them. Smile and listen if they want to talk. Invite them to dinner if you think it would help.

Ladies if you really want to make a difference in your unemployed man’s life, praise his efforts, encourage his actions and compliment him regularly. He gets down about not being able to support his family and is going without just so that they can have what little he has. Looking for work is extremely hard on us and the support from loved ones in priceless.

How else can you make a difference? Smile at a stranger, find something to compliment some on but make in genuine. I once saw an older man at the post office (who looked down and out) come alive when I complimented him on a full head of thick hair that I wished I had.He smiled, raised his head, straightened his shoulders, ran his fingers through his hair, laughed as he said as he walked away,” Sonny, some of us have it, and some don’t. I’m sure you have something to be proud of! “. Did I make his day? I’m sure I did.

There are so many ways you can make a difference in the world. Pray for people you know and even ones you don’t. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, church, school or a multitude of other places. The possibilities are endless.

And you know what? The biggest difference we make sometimes is right inside ourselves. How can you be mad, sad, or bad when you laughing and helping someone else.

Try some of these and you truly will….

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

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