5 Ways You Can Make a Difference in Your World Each Day

I truly believe the thoughts we carry in our minds have a huge impact on the lives we lead. Like the old computer saying, “garbage in, garbage out.” If our thoughts are always focused on the negative, can we truly be surprised when our lives turn out poorly? That’s not to say optimists lead only happy and fulfilled lives. I suspect however the chances are optimists will take the negative that happens and spin it to be a positive.

What are your first thoughts when you wake up each morning? Are you grateful and thank God for the many blessings you have? Or do you immediately focus on the bills, the lack of job security, marriage troubles or kids that stretch your patience? Your waking thoughts set the tone for the upcoming day and focusing on even one thing you are grateful for as you open your eyes will put your brain in gear to remain grateful the rest of the day. 

I used to wake up with thoughts of changing the world through my actions. I came to realize though one doesn’t change the world in a day. So now, as I wake up, I ask God to help me make small differences with my family, my spheres of influence, my work, and the positive impact I can have on friends and others I meet. This usually means performing small acts of kindness and paying it forward in ways that may only touch a few, but will have a ripple effect that reaches well beyond my sphere of influence. 

A few months back I read about a woman in a neighborhood close by selling yard signs that say, “Be Kind”. I bought one and it’s now proudly displayed in our yard to remind us and all others who pass by to be more kind to one another every day.

Here are five other ways I’ve found I can make even a small difference in the lives of others each day:

• Do Something Unnoticed: We all like to be acknowledged for the good we do in our world, but I think personally it’s more important to do acts of kindness that perhaps no one notices. Picking up trash on the ground, sending anonymous donations to groups you support, or donating things you don’t use anymore to a homeless shelter or other organization. Don’t do it for the recognition and in fact, do it and hope no one knows it was you. Click here to go to the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation website for more ideas on this topic.

• Pay it forward: I recently read about someone in a drive through at a fast-food restaurant who paid for her order and the order of the car behind her. Because of this small act of kindness, the next nine people all paid for those in line behind them. Other small ways to pay it forward include putting money in a parking meter that pays for the next person, bypassing a parking space close to the entrance of a store so someone who needs to park close by can, paying a toll for the car behind you, giving sincere praise to someone who helps you during the day, holding a door open for someone, or giving blood. The list is endless, and these small acts give us a sense of making a difference each day.

• Send a Thank You Note: Handwritten thank you notes are an anomaly in these days of email and texting, which is why they are appreciated. Send one to a customer thanking them for their order, to a friend, a family member, to someone who has touched your life positively in some way (former teacher or boss?) Or how about a random note to someone serving our country or our community. Express your appreciation in the note and say thank you, two of the most powerful words in the English language.

• Pick Up Your Phone: Similarly, people too rarely pick up the telephone any more to communicate on a personal level. Call a friend or family member you haven’t spoken with in a while. Instead of writing an email, use the telephone to convey the message. Call someone you admire or who is doing good for others and simply say thank you, perhaps anonymously. These types of calls often change the tone of someone’s day and can help them overcome challenges they may be facing. A friendly call is always welcomed.

• Volunteer: Do you have a favorite cause or charity? If you aren’t already, spend time volunteering with that organization or any other that you feel passionate about. Doing for others is not only a way to get outside yourself and see how others live, it’s also good for our souls. Volunteering is a way to share your skills or maybe discover talents you didn’t realize you possessed. This is an area I need to work on by finding a cause I can be passionate about and then spending time volunteering with that group.

What a difference a day can make, and I’d love for you to share your comments about what you do to set the tone for your days and other methods you’ve found helpful. As Oprah Winfrey said, “Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."

May all your days be blessed, and may you find ways each day to make a difference in your small part of the world that can eventually ripple to others throughout the rest of our world.