You Get to Choose

Things feel uncertain right now, unsettled. It’s easy to feel that things are out of control. It’s true there is a lot we can’t control, a lot we can’t change on our own, but that doesn’t mean we’re helpless. It doesn’t mean we should give up on hope or joy.

“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” Scott Adams 

What Good Can You Find

As humans we tend toward a negative bias. What started as a survival tactic can get in our way, though. It’s easy to think everything happening is bad, but is it? 

Things may be hard in the world or your personal life right now, and all of that is happening alongside people helping each other, communities coming together, and stark beauty in the late fall landscape. Can you see it? 

What small (or big) acts of kindness can you find in your day today if you look? 

What moments of beauty or joy can you collect? 

What Do You Want to See More Of?

Stop and ask yourself: What really matters to me? What do I want more of in my life? What do I want to see more of in the world? 

You do have the power to act on what you want more of in the world. Maybe you feel that your actions may be too small to matter, but your actions do a few things: 

• They make a difference, and while it may seem small to you, you may have a big impact on somebody else.
• They show others what you care about and might encourage them to act too. 
• They build capacity. That means you are more resilient and have more to give. 

What Will You Choose to Do?

So what will you choose? How will you act? Here are a few ideas to get you started: 

• Send a note to somebody who helped you or brightened your day. 
• Smile at the next person you see out in the world. 
• Donate to your local food bank. 
• Go on a kindness & beauty scavenger hunt. Really look for kindness and/or beauty.
• Practice a small act of kindness every day. 
• Volunteer with an organization that’s helping in an area you care about.
• Make a list of stories you hear about people doing good in the world. 
• Make a donation to support work you believe in. 
• Say thank you to somebody doing an often overlooked job. 
• Name what you want in the world — more kindness, compassion, joy, art, connection. Do one thing today that brings that into being.

Your actions may be directed close to home or far away. They could be a grand gesture or a tiny action. Those tiny actions are easier to do and they add up. 

We all have different skills and gifts and resources to share with the world. Your list of what you choose may not look like anybody else’s, but if you choose action based on what matters to you, it will have meaning and help you build resilience.

3 Steps to Having a Meaningful Life You Love

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