50 Ways to Change the World

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Have you ever had that moment of realization, that instant of clarity, when you feel as though your life is meant for more? We play, we learn, we work, and all of it is for our own comfort.

We are naturally self-centered to the highest degree — we are survivalists. One look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (yes, I’m one of those people who throws it around all the time) shows us that survival does not equal happiness/self-actualization.

What if there is something more than you can do?

What if there is a larger difference you can make?

What if there is a way you can change the world?

The trick to changing the world is realizing that you don’t have to change it all at once: you can improve it bit by bit. You can make things better one step at a time, for one person at a time. You don’t have to change the whole world, just someone’s world. Here are 50 ways you can do just that:

1. See the world as your wish it to be
2. Always stop to help
3. Volunteer at a children’s hospital
4. Found a nonprofit
5. Participate in Random Acts of Kindness
6. Be a part of something you believe in
7. Earn money for your charity of choice by using GoodSearch
8. Love everyone (submitted by Delft)
9. Create happy endings whenever possible
10. Adopt an animal
11. Donate your old clothes to Goodwill
12. Let people know how much they mean to you
13. Give money to the poor
14. Be polite
15. Seek to understand rather than judge or oppose
16. Invest in your passions and follow your dreams
17. Do the above for others
18. Support independent artists and musicians
19. Pick up trash
20. Volunteer at a suicide hotline center
21. Acknowledge other’s accomplishments
22. Spend time with the elderly
23. Make a micro-loan through Kiva
24. Teach a child (submitted by Karin Hurt)
25. Accept people the way they are
26. Be happy
27. Spread good news
28. Be a patient/courteous driver
29. Smile at everyone
30. Be a mentor
31. Vote
32. Adopt a Soldier
33. Donate old books to a school library
34. Walk or bike as much as possible
35. Recycle
36. Quit smoking (or help someone else quit smoking)
37. Spend a few minutes at Free Rice
38. Start a Cause
39. Respect everyone
40. Donate blood
41. Save a life
42. Pray
43. Avoid greed, anger, and ignorance
44. Take Social Actions
45. Thank everyone who does something nice for you
46. Forgive those who hurt you
47. Set a positive example (submitted by Alex Jones)
48. Join a community service organization
49. Donate your hair to Locks of Love
50. Do whatever you can to make other people’s lives easier
51. Finally, change your vocabulary. If we never use the words “hate” or “can’t” or “won’t” then we cannot use them as an alternative for love.

These are just a few ways that I can think of to change the world, but what do I know? Everyone has different interests, passions, abilities, and ideas.

So tell me YOUR favorite way to change the world and I will add it to the list (with a link to your blog as well). Maybe you don’t know of any ways to change the world? Then come back and see if someone has added something that interests you.

Anyone can change the world. You just have to figure out how.

See my original post here.