What can I, or you, do.... to change this world?

[tyedyeto]

I'm talking about what can we, the little guys of this world, either on a volunteer basis or a paid position, to make any sort of difference in what the world is today.

All ideas are welcomed.

[noamnety]

1. hmmm

start composting your kitchen scraps
grow your own food
if you have enough land, let others use it to grow their food
volunteer as a clinic escort, or at a VA hospital, or a women's shelter
bring some food to a food bank
donate blood
do without things you don't need
stop using porn and devaluing women
spend some time at a volunteer camp
join doctors without borders
campaign for someone who doesn't suck
drive less
bike or walk more

[Jcrowley]

3. Excellent

K&R

[tyedyeto]

6. I have accomplished a few of your ideas, yet still feel unfulfilled...

Over the years..........I've volunteered at both a VA hospital and a women's shelter, donate food weekly to our local food bank, I can't donate blood but volunteer time on days when my local org has their blood drives,no porn in this house, have spent countless hours for young ladies involved in Girl Scouts......

But I need something more.

In watching Jimmy Carter last week, I was reminded of the need to help others. He is such a powerful spokesman for making a difference, I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately.

[noamnety]

8. "unfulfilled"

My gut's telling me this is about not feeling emotionally connected to the sort of work you're doing, rather than "not doing enough."

Is that a fair statement, or am I off base there?

[tyedyeto]

9. You have 'hit the nail on my head'

At times, I've been very 'emotionally connected', but recently, it feels more like 'I'm not doing enough'.

I want to do more but am having a tough time deciding what I want to do next.

[noamnety]

18. throwing ourselves into the void

I've been thinking about bonds between people lately, and how they form. Making a noticable difference in one person's life seems more meaningful to me than serving soup to a hundred people, even though it might be the same amount of good, spread out a bit more. That feeling of being disconnected from people isn't healthy, especially if you're the sort of person that cares about people. If I didn't have to deal with getting approval from the spouse, I would open my house again to a foreign exchange student, who you get to know over the course of a year, or open it to some of the Iraq veterans to help them transition back into their lives. Or I'd open it to folks at the Freedom House for overflow housing - immigrants who are political refugees. Something where the human connections last longer than a few minutes or a day - something where once you plunge in, you can't just walk away the next day and nobody even notices you're missing.

The other sort of way to embed yourself into your work is to do something that involves your whole body. Working in New Orleans is like that, even if it's just during vacations from work - there's something about working til you're so beat you just can't work any more that gets you out of your head and back connected to the rest of you, and connected to the other people that are working with you, especially when you are sharing meals and living as a group instead of as individuals.

[Az]

2. Everything you do changes the world

The very breath you take changes the world. We are changing the world as we type right now. The trick is simply to change things in a more deliberate manner rather than just letting your actions effect the world around you.

[steve2470]

4. This may strike you as naiive but I firmly believe being a person of

integrity and compassion helps change the world in small ways. Of course, everything else people say is wonderful too.

[Az]

7. Absolutely

We are a species that learns by copying the actions of others. We even have specific neurons in our brains designed to do just that. So by presenting a good example to people we teach them to be good.

[tyedyeto]

10. Not naive at all.... but all the compassion in this world

doesn't do one bit of good......unless you back it up with some sort of action.

That is what I'm looking for.

[jwirr]

5. All of the above.

[majorjohn]

11. Stop believing everything the Media says - n/t

[tyedyeto]

12. Huh? Not sure what you mean by that statement.......

I've always taken what M$M has said with a 'grain of salt'.

Looking for some positive ways to 'make a difference' for the people of the world we live in.

[majorjohn]

13. Basically what I meant was,,,

Everyone should be aware of what goes on around the world by doing some reading, researching, and understanding, etc... and avoid being brain washed by certain Media - Fox News, etc... That would have a great impact in the world we live in where people would understand what's really going on around them.

[tyedyeto]

14. Let's say, that is a given....

nothing you hear on M$M is going to brainwash you... What does one do to make a difference to those less fortunate? ... what can I do to help those who are so much needier than I?

[rman]

27. What you don't hear on the MSM is what keeps people uninformed

Which causes people to have an incorrect view of what's going on - ie that 'we' are the good guys, which allows 'us' to continue to be the bad guys.

Maybe it's not brainwashing, but it's very effective propaganda.

I'd say informing people about what's really going on in the world is of primary importance if we want to change things for the better.

[brook]

16. everyone tosses a pebble

which ripples the pond with every kindness of each day. Sometimes it's as little as a smiling "Hello" to a stranger...change, it's said, begins with "you".

Sure, I donate; sign petitions; join protests; write letters. The folks on the receiving end of those acts are remote and don't have a real impact on the tiny orb of my world. And that's fine. What I want from them is to give the younger generations a future worth having. Getting my country back would be nice. :)

I'm unable to travel the world jousting at injustice but I work on a daily basis with people who "need" what I do. That's the part of society I can try to make better...and every time I'm successful, that change flows out to their family, friends, even neighbors in sometimes subtle ways. Unfortunately, it also requires me to do battle with the bureaucratic tight-asses on a regular basis. <Which is why I just poured large brandy.>

[tyedyeto]

17. thank you for those words to live by

I've been mulling this question over and over for several days now... and I have no idea if I'm doing all I can at this point in my life, but I'll continue to make all the smalll stuff a priority.

My small ripples on a pond are worth every pebble tossed there.

Thanks!

[brook]

20. Thank you for reminding me

of the 'core'. I do loose focus now and again.

I'm an old coot - and it took me a long time of being overwhelmed by the crap that passes for kindness, equity, honesty and justice out there. So I try to 'simplify'. Otherwise it would be unbearable.

Take care - and keep a pocketful of pebbles handy!

[Radical Activist]

15. Not much.

But you can change a lot in the community around you. Start there.

[Sapphire Blue]

19. Be a servant...

The Drum Major Instinct
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

(excerpt)

And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Amen) That's a new definition of greatness.

And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, (Everybody) because everybody can serve. (Amen) You don't have to have a college degree to serve. (All right) You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. (Amen) You only need a heart full of grace, (Yes, sir, Amen) a soul generated by love. (Yes) And you can be that servant.

(snip)

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that's all I want to say.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/publications/sermons/680204.000_Drum_Major_Instinct.html

[bobbolink]

34. Thanks for the reminder about the proper frame of mind for serving!!

Really, the depth of that man was so phenomenal!

"You only need a heart full of grace, (Yes, sir, Amen) a soul generated by love. (Yes) And you can be that servant."

AMEN!

[hfojvt]

21. you could support this protest movement

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=5912147&mesg_id=5912147

Hey, you said all ideas. I'm just trying to make people laugh a little.

[cherokeeprogressive]

22. From tiny acorns grow mighty oaks...

There is no limit to the amount of things you can do to change the world in a small way:

Never pass up the chance to perpetrate some kind act on another human being. Smile. Get used to the fact that you are but a metaphorical grain of sand on a beach that never ends, and conduct yourself accordingly. Bend over and pick up that piece of trash the person in front of you just stepped over. Slow down slightly when the car ahead of you in the adjoining lane puts on his/her turn signal, needing to get into your lane. STOP saying "No problem" instead of "You're VERY welcome", or "It was my pleasure" (my Grandma told me that "no problem" implied you could have been doing something else more rewarding, but took time out of your busy day to help). Give the poor homeless person holding the sign while looking down in shame ALL the money you can spare from your purse or wallet. FORGET about calculating the MINIMUM amount you can leave as a tip for your server and leave at least 50%. Try that just ONCE. Yeah, I know it's expensive, but the thanks you'll get from an underappreciated, overworked server will be enough to put a hitch in your breath. Myself, I try to get out before the server discovers the tip. Be kind to a teenager (afterall, THEY'LL be running the world soon, and you'll need their help). I'm absolutely sure the list is never-ending.

This last Thanksgiving, my fiance and I helped serve over 400 meals at a Calvary Chapel near our condo. Neither of us had personally involved ourselves in helping those less fortunate than ourselves. We give, but we've never become personally involved. I'm glad we did. And, it's my intent to do it again every Thanksgiving Day until the day I die (hers too). That's how good it felt. Or so I thought.

When we got home, I took off my shoes, sat down with the houkah, and thought I could relax. Ten minutes later, I started crying. And I cried. I cried my eyes out. I bawled. The families and individuals I served were a huge mix of emotions: Pride, Humility, Shame, and Thankfulness, just to name a few; at the end of the day I was emotionally exhausted, not realizing how deeply I had been affected by the people I had come into contact with.

Since then, I've struggled with that night. Was I crying because I felt guilty about my good fortune? Or was I crying because I was feeling desperation over situations I had no control over? I haven't been able to answer that question. I know this though: It was an addicting experience. I've been trying to figure out how I can do more. I think the tears came from a realization that if we don't help EACH OTHER, who WILL help us?

I reiterate: There is no limit to the things you can do to make the world a better place. The cliche holds true: THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY

The fortunate need to get in touch with the less fortunate, and see how the other 85% lives. Walk a mile in their shoes.

How about we start by establishing a new political party? The WORLD Party. We vote out ALL INCUMBENTS, and start fresh.

[Joe Chi Minh]

31. Great post.

[AlienGirl]

23. Find the small opportunities.

I currently work as a telephone-survey-caller. That means I am calling people at dinner time or bedtime and getting cussed at and told to "go die" quite a bit, but sometimes even an annoying job like that provides a small opportunity to increase the amount of good in the world. Like tonight:

One of the people I called to ask about their travel plans seemed actually enthusiastic about talking to me. He told me about places he'd gone, things he'd seen, and adventures he'd had with his wife of fifty-some years. He was fascinating and had led a very interesting life. After about a half hour, he explained to me why he didn't mind being pestered by a phone survey. "I just got out of the hospital for heart surgery," he said, "It's so good to talk like a person, about normal things! My kids are all far away and don't call and I am sick of talking about medical stuff." I told him I could sympathize, and told him about my battle with cancer a few years back.

This has happened to me several times, actually, where a lonesome person has been comforted by having a phone call about "normal things" during a time of medical suckage. Even doing something as normal as going to work can open opportunities that might not change the world, but they can improve *someone's* world, and that adds up eventually!

Tucker

[BlueIris]

24. Aw, this is just exactly what I was going to post.

It's allll about the little opportunities. As someone who has (literally) had my life saved by people taking advantage of the "small opportunities" to do nice or helpful things for me, I can tell you that it does make a huge difference.

And that sounds like a great job for you, Tucker.

[Contrary1]

25. I hesitate to post this...

because it sounds like I am tooting my own horn.

But, I have on occasion; paid for a senior citizen's prescription meds. My mother-in-law used to work as an assistant in a pharmacy. She saw first hand, how some folks have to make a choice between needed medicines and other necessities.

I have seen people that fall under this description standing in line in front of me at the drug store.
When I have been financially able, I tell the pharmacist to fill the entire month's worth, rather than the two weeks the customer had requested, and pay for the difference, anonymously.

The look on their faces when they are told is my reward. It is money well spent.

[and-justice-for-all]

26. I think I will be forming a local...

..ATHEIST, HUMANIST and FREE-THOUGHT Coalition.

If they want a war, I will give them hell!

[timtom]

28. Take all your beliefs and opinions

and constantly examine them and review them and go for discernment and clarity. As you do this (throughout your life) you make damn sure that everything you do is consonant with those beliefs. Opportunities for you to express those beliefs through action will present themselves.

[jgraz]

29. Decide not to have children

Can't think of any personal choice that has a larger impact on the future of this planet.

[GliderGuider]

30. There are all kinds of things you can do

First off you need to figure out what your biggest concern is. What's the biggest problem the world faces, in your opinion? Is it social, environmental or political? Is it local, national or global? Is it man's inhumanity to man, or personal alienation, or lack of social services, or population growth, or fouling our own nest or using up essential resources? Define a specific problem area you feel most strongly about, and focus your energies on it. From there you can look at involvement on a number of levels:

Personal actions:
Grow a garden
Power down your life (move to a smaller more energy-efficient house, buy a smaller car, put in compact fluorescents, weather stripping, better insulation et.)
Volunteer to help individuals in need
Start taking public transit
Resolve not to fly anywhere ever again
Resolve not to have children (may not be suitable for everyone :-) )

Political actions:
Volunteer for an environmental or social justice activism group at the local, regional, national or global level, whatever feels most appropriate or urgent to you - there are lists of groups available on the net.
Get involved in politics, especially at the municipal level
Write letters to editors and politicians

[bobbolink]

32. Thanks for asking--I hope you consider something along these lines...

FIRST--thank you so much for asking. This is definitely the best question!

As a homeless person, myself, I can say that one of the biggest helps to me (besides a home, of course!), would be to have someone who can just listen and care. Now, maybe that sounds simple, but it's not. People want to "fix", they want to "advise", they want to "counsel". Balderdash! Just being able to actually LISTEN is, in itself, revolutionary.

If this appeals to you, get some book with a section on Active Listening (Parent Effectiveness Training, from long ago, or another, newer book --in which case, they may use a different name for it.)
Make a deal with someone to practice the concept until you feel secure with it (which will also pay a bonus in the rest of your life, with family, etc!).

You won't find a shortage of those who need to be heard. Many years ago, there was a woman who set up a table on the local campus, with some simple sign about being a listening ear, and she was swamped! However, we homeless people are in desperate need of listening, and since you seem to have a heart for it, I would suggest us.

I've been trying to interest local churches in doing an outreach for poor folk. Afterall, there are outreaches for youth, prison "minstries", etc., why not actually follow what the bible says about the importance of poor people? A big part of that would be listening, and taking action on some of the things that are talked about, such as the lousy way some of the agencies treat people coming for help. (Just this week, I had a great leap with that--one pastor went unannounced to an agency I told her was treating people badly. She was treated "very rudely", she said, and has put this on the agenda for the ecumenical clergy group this week. She is determined to get things changed there, and that will be a very big help to poor folk!)

I hope that spurs some ideas for you--things that don't cost money, but significantly change the world by bringing some peace to those who so badly need to know they are valued.

[baby_mouse]

33. Not flaming, but did you *deliberately* avoid asking what WE could do?

Your question reminds me of the quote about having the courage to change what you can, the acceptance to let go of what you can't and the wisdom to tell the difference. It sounds good, *but* if you substitute "we" and "us" for "I" and "me" it changes the meaning of it dramatically, IMO.