{"id":13075,"date":"2022-05-01T07:02:57","date_gmt":"2022-05-01T07:02:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.foresters.com\/?p=13075"},"modified":"2022-07-26T23:43:47","modified_gmt":"2022-07-26T23:43:47","slug":"25-ways-to-change-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.foresters.com\/en-gb\/community-en-gb\/25-ways-to-change-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"25 ways to change the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

We live in a hurting world, and it can be easy to think that nothing we do could possibly make a positive difference in any meaningful way.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s simply not true. <\/em><\/p>\n

The reason is because of something called the ripple effect. Studies have shown that when we witness a kind act, no matter how big or small, it inspires us to look for ways to be kind too.1 <\/sup>Likewise, when someone is kind to us, we are often more inclined to pass that kindness on to others because of the way it made us feel when it was given to us. The effect is like a single drop of water sending ripples out far beyond its own small size.<\/p>\n

So simply smiling warmly at a stranger you pass on the street could inspire them to spread that little bit of love to someone else in need\u2014and on and on it goes.<\/p>\n

In fact, it\u2019s not beyond the realm of possibility to think that one kind deed you did 20 years ago is still being passed around the world today.<\/p>\n

Here are 25 simple ideas to help inspire you to make your community\u2014and the world\u2014better one small gesture at a time.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Send a good-morning text to a friend.<\/li>\n
  2. Make a point of complimenting everyone you meet.<\/li>\n
  3. Make an appointment to donate blood<\/a> and encourage friends and family to do the same.<\/li>\n
  4. Call someone you haven\u2019t spoken to in a while to check in.<\/li>\n
  5. Send a handwritten letter or card to a loved one.<\/li>\n
  6. Pick up litter on your daily walk.<\/li>\n
  7. Offer to run an errand for a new mum, someone recovering from an illness or a senior who can\u2019t get out easily.<\/li>\n
  8. Pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru line.<\/li>\n
  9. Donate your time, money or in-kind items to a local shelter, food bank or soup kitchen.<\/li>\n
  10. Leave the biggest tip you can when you run in to grab your morning coffee.<\/li>\n
  11. Put your phone down and really<\/em> listen to a friend or family member who wants to talk.<\/li>\n
  12. After you rake your leaves or mow your lawn offer to help your neighbour too.<\/li>\n
  13. Bring in a treat to share with your coworkers.<\/li>\n
  14. Write a letter thanking people in your life who have made a positive impact or helped you in some way, even if it was years ago.<\/li>\n
  15. Let someone cut in front of you when you\u2019re driving.<\/li>\n
  16. Praise someone\u2019s good work in front of their employer or boss.<\/li>\n
  17. Tweet out, or leave positive reviews about businesses when you\u2019ve had a good experience with their product or customer service.<\/li>\n
  18. Try to support small, local businesses.<\/li>\n
  19. Pass on nice things you\u2019ve heard said about friends or family members.<\/li>\n
  20. Leave money in a vending machine for someone else to find.<\/li>\n
  21. Ride your bike to work or to run errands instead of driving to help reduce traffic and pollution.<\/li>\n
  22. Donate items that you no longer want to charities who will distribute them to those in need.<\/li>\n
  23. Return a grocery trolley that\u2019s been abandoned in the parking lot.<\/li>\n
  24. Comment on the good<\/em> behaviour of other people\u2019s children.<\/li>\n
  25. Send a dessert to another table anonymously.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    One of the most wonderful ways to change the world around you is to donate your time to a local charity in need, and Foresters Financial members have many opportunities to do just that. Foresters Community Grants<\/a> give member families the chance to organise and host their own local community volunteer activity, and the Foresters Care grant<\/a> allows members to quickly make a meaningful difference in their community with a one-time grant of \u00a3200 to put towards an immediate need.<\/p>\n

    The next time you think, \u201cNothing I can do will make a difference,\u201d remember this poem by Edwin Osgood Grover:<\/p>\n

    “I am only one,
    \nBut still I am one.
    \nI cannot do everything,
    \nBut still I can do something;
    \nAnd because I cannot do everything,
    \nI will not refuse to do the something I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

    SOURCES<\/strong><\/p>\n

    1 https:\/\/greatergood.berkeley.edu\/article\/item\/how_kindness_spreads_in_a_community<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    One simple act of kindness can make a meaningful difference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":13053,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1938],"tags":[2141],"class_list":{"0":"post-13075","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-community-en-gb","8":"tag-random-acts-of-kindness-en-gb"},"yoast_head":"\n25 ways to change the world - Membership Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"25 ways to change the world - Membership Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"One simple act of kindness can make a meaningful difference.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.foresters.com\/en-gb\/community-en-gb\/25-ways-to-change-the-world\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Membership Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Foresters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-05-01T07:02:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-07-26T23:43:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/forestersblogcdnp.azureedge.net\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Community-25-ways-to-change-the-world.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Foresters Financial\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@weareforesters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@weareforesters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Foresters Financial\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.foresters.com\/en-gb\/community-en-gb\/25-ways-to-change-the-world\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.foresters.com\/en-gb\/community-en-gb\/25-ways-to-change-the-world\/\",\"name\":\"25 ways to change the world - 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