Make The World A Better Place in 10 Easy Steps
Ranked #2,050 in Healthy Living, #42,158 overall | Donates to Global Giving
Ten simple ways to make a huge world of difference!
The year is almost over... have you made your new year's resolutions yet? How about taking a step further by promising to do things that will not only make you a better person but will also make the world a better place to live in. It's time we give some love back to the planet that has cradled us since the day we were born.
Below you will find a list of ten simple actions that take minimal effort to do but will definitely leave a huge impact. The idea behind this is that if many of us act towards a common goal, we can do a world of good.
Do you want to know how we can change the world for the better? Please read on.
This Squidoo lens was awarded a Purple Star on Sept. 18, 2010, what an honor! Learn more about the Purple Star Program by clicking on the link.
Image courtesy of stock.xchng
Change the World for Ten Bucks
The book that changed my life and inspired me to make this list.
One of my best friends gave me the original UK edition of a book called Change the World for a Fiver
It lists 50 small actions that can make the world a better place and make you feel good at the same time. Some of the items I've listed below are from this amazing book and it has inspired me to come up with more actions that can help make a difference too.
Change the World for Ten Bucks: small actions x lots of people = big change
Amazon Price: $0.01 (as of 02/14/2012)
At last, here's the U.S. edition. Change the World for Ten Bucks delights and engages at every turn. It includes a postcard to send to someone who inspires you, two pages stuck together (don't throw your gum in the street!), tear-out tabs to make introductions to the neighbors, and dozens of other creative prompts for positive change.
1. Start living green to reduce your carbon footprint,
Mother Earth will thank you for it.
We rely on the Earth every day for the most basic of needs: air, food, water, energy, and many other things that enable our survival. What most of us are only starting to realize is that it is also a very delicate system. Just upsetting one element will make many other pieces fall quickly out of place. 
We must love and care for our home planet as much as we can, and it can be done via simple little actions that won't even cost us a lot of effort, like declining plastic bags and containers, recycling, turning off appliances that aren't in use, conserving water. You know the drill. Read the following lenses to find out more ways of how you can live the green life.
3. Take a break from work and go out,
explore the world and do something new and worthwhile.
Do you ever get the feeling that you're missing out on life when you spend the whole day cooped up working inside an office? The world be so much better if everyone took time off from work and went ahead and followed their dreams. It's a win-win situation. The happier and more fulfilled everyone is, the more they will want to spread that joy to others. That's not even counting the good it will do the earth when all those computers and office gadgets are given a break -- see #1. Start living green.)
2. Walk or bike to your destination instead of taking your car,
or use public transportation as much as possible.
Cars use up a lot of precious fuel and energy and not only do they pollute our air, too many cars on the road will cause traffic and not to mention, accidents. The result, very many upset and angry people. Not a healthy way to live. Green cars are helping solve the fuel & pollution problem but they still don't solve traffic. Walking, hiking, biking and taking public transportation will greatly reduce this problem and what's more, you will become healthier and fitter too. What's not to like about that?
4. Make it a habit to smile more often,
because you're never fully dressed without a smile.
Smiles Can Fly...Give it a Try!
A smile is a curve
that sets everything straight.
It costs nothing, but is worth much.
It enriches whoever receives it,
without impoverishing the one who gives it.
It lingers for just a moment,
but its effects can last for a lifetime.
Read the rest of the poem.
Listen to "You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile" from the musical Annie
Read more on what the simple act of smiling can do.
5. Spend more time with someone from a different generation,
and learn cool stuff you never knew before.
Spending time with children and/or older people will expand your mind and open it up to a universe of thoughts you've never even pondered about before. Looking at the world from a broader perspective makes you a better and well-rounded person. How do you think I would've known about all those indie rock tunes I've been writing about if I didn't spend a lot of time with my nephew? Or those classic musicals if I didn't watch them with my grandma when I was a child? Sharing knowledge and insights between generations allow us to become more aware of how things work on this planet.
6. Support local products as much as possible,
and promote tourism to where you live.
Buying local products and supporting industry in your homebase reduces environmental impact, puts your taxes to good use, ensures a better economy and encourages local prosperity. On that note, may I invite you to visit our beautiful country, The Philippines sometime? It's home to amazing and world-renowned beaches, coral waters, and exotic, historical sceneries. Please visit the websites below for more information on our country.
(photo source: Palawan.net)
- WOW Philippines Homepage
- Mabuhay! Welcome to the official tourist information Web site of the Philippines. W.O.W. Philippines is the flagship tourism program of the Philippine government through the Philippine Department of Tourism.
- Philippine Holiday | Tour Philippines | Scuba Diving Snorkeling | Destination Philippines | Hotels Manila Philippines
- Make Destination Philippines your next Philippine Holiday, if you wish to Tour Philippines, visit our unrivalled selection of Tours, Hotels Manila Philippines and our Scuba Diving Snorkeling packages.
Fancy a holiday at one of the Philippines' beautiful beaches?
7. Lend a helping hand if you're able,
and give without expecting anything back.
This can be as simple as opening a door for someone whose hands are full, assisting an elderly person carry books, or helping a child cross the street. Giving is also as easy as baking two cakes and sending the extra one to a dear friend, or clearing out your closet and sending your unwanted pile to your community center to benefit others.
If you want to take giving a step further, you may donate to the charity I've specified below by simply clicking the button. The best thing about it is that you can help people in need all over the world without having to leave your seat. Revenue from purchases you make through this lens will also be donated to Global Giving.
Global Giving enables individuals and companies to find and support high-impact, grassroots social and economic development projects around the world.
8. Write to someone who inspired you,
and hand it to your recipient personally or by snail mail.
There's nothing like receiving a sincere, heartfelt letter from someone thanking you for inspiring them to become a better person so just imagine what the recipients will feel when they read it. You not only made their day, you also encouraged them to continue inspiring others like you.
9. Reach out and hug someone you care for each day,
and don't forget to tell them you love them as well.
A hug is one of the best therapies ever. It is positive energy and validation transmitted in its simplest form and is such a simple, effortless gesture that can convey so much more than a million words. Have you heard of the Free Hugs campaign? It's the story of Juan Mann whose mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives. Indeed the world would be a much better place if it were full of happy, loving people, wouldn't it?
10. Share your knowledge and life experiences with people you've never met,
and feel like a million dollars knowing that you enlightened someone somewhere out there.
Everyone's an expert on something so if you want to be able to share your expertise with others, sign up for a Squidoo account. This enables you to create lenses (pages you can fill with articles, photos, videos, slides, and discussions -- like this page you're reading) that will inform and educate, and at the same time make you some spare cash too. It won't even cost you anything, just a little effort and the desire to spread love and make the world a better place.
READY, SET,
What other simple steps can we take to make a difference in this world?
Please share your thoughts for everyone to see.
Let's make this world a better place one step at a time.
mayapearl wrote...
This is a great "makes you feel good" lens, very inspiring. Thank you
Posted juin 04, 2010
LKW31 wrote...
This is a lovely uplifting lens, thank you for showing that sometimes the little things make a big difference. Am now a fan!
Posted mars 09, 2010
Wednesday_Elf wrote...
I love to send and receive 'snail mail' and in this age of electronic "everything", it's so much more meaningful to receive a card, note or letter in your mailbox from a friend or relative. It doesn't take much more time to write than an email would, and only costs the price of a stamp, but to hold a sweet letter or a thoughtful card in your hands means the world!
Posted février 24, 2010
GonnaFly wrote...
Some lovely ideas here. A smile is so easy and doesn't even cost you anything :-)
Posted février 13, 2010
We Are What We Do is a movement that aims to inspire people to use their everyday actions to change the world and is funded by proceeds from the sale of their products. The guiding principle of We Are What We Do is that small changes multiplied by lots of people = big change.
Visit their site, add your actions and see what others have done to make the world a better place to live in. You may also check out their other books below.
If you want to make the world a better place,
start with the man (or woman) in the mirror.
Here's a great way we can help our brothers & sisters all over the world right from where we are.
How? Just bookmark and visit the following websites daily.
All they need is a click -- yes, a click! -- from you each day. Clicking a special designated button automatically generates revenue from a sponsor and that income is then donated to the specified charities listed on the websites. The best part is you can do it from anywhere, as long as you have your laptop or wi-fi enabled gadget with you.
- The Hunger Site
- The Hunger Site was founded to focus the power of the Internet on a specific humanitarian need: the eradication of world hunger.
- The Rainforest Site
- The Rainforest Site is dedicated to the preservation of rainforests around the world. Your daily click funds the purchase of rainforest land by The Nature Conservancy, The Rainforest Conservation Fund, The World Parks Endowment, and Rainforest2Reef.
- The Breast Cancer Site
- Your click on the "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button helps fund free mammograms for women in need - low-income, inner-city and minority women whose awareness of breast cancer and opportunity for help is often limited.
- The Child Health Site
- The Child Health Site is dedicated to funding simple and very effective preventatives and treatments with the goal of robust child health around the globe.
How are others choosing to make a difference?
Let's read their tweets.
-
- LouiBanxx
- @MrThatsSwag :S I've got your number. Doesn't make a difference
-
-
- Ansgarius_90
- @AdrianSertl They should make an announcement like asking for a doctor: "Is here anyone able to make a difference up front?"
-
- jrstephens12
- #WeAllGotThatOneFriend who wants to make a positive impact in people's lives. Support @TEAMColemanASB and make a difference! #teamcoleman
-
- VoteAMillerCSBS
- I believe as President Kennedy once said "I believe everyone can make a difference and everyone should try."
"We must be the change we want to see in the world." --Mahatma Gandhi
This page uses royalty-free images from stock.xchng that are free to use in digital format on websites. Visit the page for more information on rights and usage.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with me and everyone who visits this page?
Your thoughts are most welcome!
-
Reply
-
scar4
Oct 18, 2010 @ 9:32 pm | delete
- nice lens with creative ideas. Can we really change the world? We can do something small at least.
-
-
Reply
-
poutine
Sep 11, 2010 @ 1:51 pm | delete
- Like the way you laid out this lens and all the great ideas.
-
-
Reply
-
PalawanHotels
Aug 19, 2010 @ 8:51 am | delete
- nice lens, i like the 5th one spend more time with other generation! =) hope the world will be better!
Please visit my site:
Palawan Hotels | Palawan Butterfly Garden | Palawan Underground River | Puerto Princesa
-
-
Reply
-
Skiesgreen
Apr 17, 2010 @ 3:38 am | delete
- Back with a blessing and featured on Sprinkled with Stardust
Norma
-
-
Reply
-
KarenTBTEN
Apr 7, 2010 @ 8:24 pm | delete
- This is a very nice collection of resources about changing our lives and our world. I like how seamlessly you stitched in links, whether they be to other lenses (like the 'green' lens collection) or to products.
-
- Load More
Send some love (or stars, if you please)
Your opinion matters to me.
This module only appears with actual data when viewed on a live lens. The favorite and lensroll options will appear on a live lens if the viewer is a member of Squidoo and logged in.
Yours truly,
making sure to do her part in changing the world too.
This page is called a Squidoo lens.
If you're passionate about something -- anything! --,
you can make a lens about it and even earn money on the side.
Isn't that awesome?
Click on the button below to get started!
by arncyn
I design retro graphic tees & funky wedding invitations and blog about asian pop culture in my free time. I'm also the designated Squid Angel for Weddings:... more »
- 142 featured lenses
- Winner of 20 trophies!
- Top lens » What is BB Cream and why are Asian women crazy about it?
- This lens »
Won purple star
Explore related pages
- Life Lessons from Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang Life Lessons from Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang
- Smile, and the world smiles with you! Smile, and the world smiles with you!
- 2011 SquidAngel for Weddings ~ Theme Weddings and Travel & Places ~ East Asia 2011 SquidAngel for Weddings ~ Theme Weddings and Travel & Places ~ East Asia
- Reach For The Stars: Personal Goal Setting Tips Reach For The Stars: Personal Goal Setting Tips
- Create a Mandala Collage Create a Mandala Collage
- Goal Setting - My Personal Business Goals Goal Setting - My Personal Business Goals
Ten Ways to Change the World in Your Twenties
You're never too young to make the first step!
Ten Ways to Change the World in Your Twenties
Amazon Price: $8.95 (as of 02/14/2012)
Although twentysomethings are faced with environmental and humanitarian issues on a scope never seen before, the timing is perfect to take action and make a difference! Environmental advocate Libuse Binder introduces Ten Ways to Change the World in Your Twenties, an inspiring collection of new ideas, resources and innovative twists on proven strategies that will help millenials tackle today's toughest issues.
Frommer's 500 Places Where You Can Make a Difference
A review of 500 places where you can do good.
Frommer's 500 Places Where You Can Make a Difference
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 02/14/2012)
Make a profound difference in how you travel. This guidebook leads you to places around the globe where you can serve communities while exploring them in a unique, connected way. From caring for orphans in Delhi, India, to teaching English on the beaches of Salvador, Brazil, to tracking dolphins in Oahu, Hawaii, or building a school in Madagascar, you'll find an adventure that matches your interests and lets you see your destination with new eyes.
The Better World Shopping Guide
Every Dollar Makes a Difference
The Better World Shopping Guide: Every Dollar Makes a Difference (Better World Shopping Guide: Every Dollar Can Make a Difference)
Amazon Price: $5.38 (as of 02/14/2012)
Do your groceries make the grade? Check out your shopping basket with this 100,000-copy bestseller. Written by Ellis Jones, PhD is the award-winning, bestselling author of The Better World Shopping Guide and The Better World Handbook. A scholar of social responsibility, global citizenship and everyday activism, Dr. Jones has dedicated himself to uncovering practical ways for people to make a difference in the world.
