Psst!...Have you Heard the Buzz?
A Time to Reflect, Give, and Recycle
Copyright © Liane Bate
http://www.HonestMoneyMaking.com
Disasters like what has occurred in Japan and around the world make one stop and think about what and who is important in this life…My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who are suffering and have lost loved ones.
It makes those of us who are safe and living well wonder what we can do to help…To me donating money, even if I don’t have any, feels good, and yet at the same time, I often think it feels like empty giving and that I wish I could do more than give cash when I don’t really know how my money will be used.
There are many ways to volunteer your skills and your time to helping those in need, and things you can give other than money.
As spring is almost upon us, I have felt inclined to do some spring cleaning, recycling, and donating to feel I’ve done something to help these poor people in Japan, and others in need as well, not to mention helping our planet.
We can’t forget the environment and how global warming is changing our planet as we know it, causing flooding, erratic weather patterns, earthquakes and tsunamis, and we have to think about what we can do to change our world for the better, reduce carbon emissions, and save our planet from disasters such as this one.
So today, and this spring, and this year for me marks a new awakening to what I can do to help our planet, and our people. We all want to make a difference in the world, to others, and those we do business with, and sometimes it’s hard to know exactly how to do this.
I am still learning ways to help, and I think it’s a lifelong process of discovery as to what we can do that makes us feel satisfied personally, and yet is enough to help in a significant way.
To start spring off on the right foot, and move this process forward for me, I did some things that I hope will help the world:
1. I donated money to The Salvation Army, Unicef, and the Red Cross to help those in Japan. I have often focused more on my city with little concern about the world internationally, but we can’t forget that we are one planet, one people, and that we can spread our help and love to those all over the world, not just where we live. What happens to the rest of the world can happen to us too.
2. I donated money to the Interfaith Food Bank to help those in my city who are hungry. I complain a lot these days about my grocery bill, but donating to the Food Bank makes me feel that despite how broke I may be at times, I really do have it good. I eat well and often and plenty, while others go hungry. This is the least I can do to realize that I do have a lot to give when I think I don’t.
3. I donated 10 best-selling books to the Public Library. Some of these books were brand new books, and I’m happy to know that other people who can’t afford to purchase as many, or any, of the books that I do are about to enjoy what I have enjoyed for free. I am also happy to support the Public Library -an amazing place that allows people to learn and grow.
4. I donated 40 more books to the Women in Need Thrift store, and once again, am pleased to know that items I once purchased are going to be read and enjoyed by others who need it more than I do.
5. I gathered up a bag full of clothing and shoes to donate to Women in Need. Items that no longer fit, that I don’t like or wear anymore, but once did. To know that my purchases are going to someone who will appreciate what I can no longer use makes me happy.
6. I am donating my old TV, because I feel materialistic and greedy having purchased a new one. In fact this one purchase, along with the disaster in Japan, sparked my need to give.
7. I found at least 2 shoe boxes worth of toys and trinkets that I can give to kids in need via Samaritan’s Purse to donate for next Christmas. I found out how to go about donating a shoe box, and will take the steps this year to get it done!
8. I have other toys and trinkets that I think my nieces and nephews might enjoy as future gifts to give.
9. I have other books that I will tear the covers off of to recycle the paper and help our planet.
10. I did my bottle and container recycling today and unplugged something that didn’t need to be plugged in!
Here are 10 cool ways that you can give to those less fortunate and those in need in our troubled times. Instead of thinking about how you can make more money, think about how you can give more. What comes around goes around, and you will reap the benefits, and be paid in more ways than just monetary.
Blessings to all!
Liane Bate owns a Plug-in Profit Site web business and is author of 119 articles related to online business and internet marketing. Inspire yourself with New Business Ideas, and visit HonestMoneyMaking.com’s Home Business Blog
