Little ways to make a big difference

It really is the little things in life that make a big difference.

If you’ve ever had someone smile and say hello to you on a frustrating day or were surprised by your favorite delicious soup when you are sick, you know how a little pick-me-up can make a big difference in your day.

In our screen-face society, it’s easy to get trapped inside the electro-world. It’s rare that my phone is more than a few feet away from reach, and I’m constantly texting, tweeting, and snapping pics with my handy little device. And a lot of causes make it easy to stay inside the screen and text to donate money to a cause.

But, looking around at the world, and actually making moves to make a friend’s day better or taking a day to volunteer to make your community a little more healthier and happy, can not only make a big difference to help others, it also can change your life, too.

Did you know that volunteers are happier and healthier than those who don’t?

Did you know that volunteers earn more money than those who don’t? (Check out this link from Psychology Today)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 25 percent of Americans volunteer. I’m happy that Mark and I are part of this number. We’ve been donating our time and skills to Rebuilding Together for the past few years. And before that I volunteered as part of our town’s Main Street board of directors. We’ve volunteered our skills and time to help after Katrina, after the tornado in Joplin, and in several towns after Sandy. Each time we’ve encountered so many amazing people, both the volunteers and the people who were helping to rebuild their communities.

Even if you don’t think you have time to help make a big difference, I’ve got a few ways that we try to help others in meaningful ways that really don’t take much effort at all.

Here are two of my favorites:

Donate your extra Halloween candy or a Christmas stocking to the troops.

Donate your unwanted clothes, furniture or other ‘stuff’ to the Salvation Army or Purple Heart. And they’ll actually come and pick up your donations.