Change the World

I love listening to music. I'm usually listening to music: when I'm alone at home, when I'm in the car, when I'm cooking or baking. (Save the lecture on the value of silence for another time.) Every so often, a song makes me thinking. I was listening to Pandora and Carrie Underwood's song 'Change' came on.

It got me to thinking about the little ways in which we can make a difference. Not all of us are going to cure deadly diseases or become great world leaders. But we can all make a positive change in the corner of the world in which we live. It got me thinking about things that we can do to make a difference:

1. Smile. We always hear about this one. And it's true. A smile does make a difference. Smiles are contagious. 
2. Leave your loose change at the self-check out or vending machine. It's not a lot. I mean, if it's your loose change it's usually less than $1. But it'll make someone feel quite lucky.
3. Send a letter to someone that you haven't spoken with in a while. And yes, I did say letter. It's not going to take you forever and it'll only cost you a stamp. Come on. How excited do you feel when you get something in your mail box that's neither junk nor a bill?
4. Share something inspirational on Facebook instead of a link to bad news or your thousandth selfie.
5. Buy someone flowers for no specific reason. I'm not talking about an expensive bouquet of long-stemmed roses from the florist. Walmart and Bi-Lo sell very pretty bouquets for somewhere close to $5. They're inexpensive but I dare someone not to smile when they get a bouquet.
6. Help someone who looks like they need a hand. Whether it's opening a door for an elderly person or picking up a dropped toy for a parent with their hands full. I'm sure that they'd be grateful.
7. Leave an anonymous kind note for someone to find. Think of how happy you would be to find a lovely note on your desk when you're having a rotten day.
8. Pay someone a compliment. And I don't mean something like telling them how much you like their new haircut when really it looks like they got their hair cut by a blindfolded two year old. Look for something genuinely nice to say (it'll do you good to look for the good in others too).
9. Donate something you haven't worn in a while to Goodwill or a thrift shop. Come on, if you haven't worn it in the last two years, do you really need it? And while you're at it, how about donate a book that you haven't read in a while to your local library.
10. Leave some candy or baked goods for your neighbor. Just make sure you don't leave it where a pet can get it or that they're not away on vacation.

And I'm sure that if you think about it you can come up with more ways to make someone smile.