SMILING

Have you ever Smiled at a Stranger for no reason at all? 

I've started practicing this behavior and I am amazed at the response that it has on people.  Smiling is contagious.  It's a SIMPLE ACT.  It's a small gesture that has such a positive ripple effect. 

MUSIC TO INSPIRE

Just a little something to INSPIRE you to make a difference in your own life and maybe the environment around you!

You may need to sign into YouTube to view this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE3S7VcyOPU

WORDS OF A WISE MAN

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

― Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience. Wikipedia

 

We may all know his name, but take a moment to look at this link.  It gives me chills everytime I read his words. 

 

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/23924.Martin_Luther_King_Jr_

 

Be aware, live in the moment, correct your mistakes and move forward.

VOLUNTEERING



Future Picasso's

In 2010 I decided that I needed to give back, but I didn't know where to start.  I knew that I wanted to focus on inner city kids in Detroit.  I felt that was an area that needed help.  I was having my birthday dinner with friends, when the conversation turned to Art Road.  My friend Jack works for Mercedes Benz Financial, which is the largest supporter of this non-profit organization www.artroadnonprofit.org.  As he continued to tell me more about this organization his words hit me like a lightning bolt.

An inner city program that teaches art to elementary kids!

This was it!  Now I am hooked. 

It has been over a year since I started volunteering and I have become a better person because of it.

 

There are so many ways we can volunteer.  The biggest challenge is finding time, but you can also do it through providing resources, donating supplies, sponsoring a runner, participating in food drives.  The list goes on and on.  When you volunteer, you control your own schedule.  Most places are happy just to have volunteers, it doesn't matter if you give 100 hours or just 1 hour of your time a year. 

If you choose something you are passionate about, you will find that it is quite easy to make time.  More people and businesses are focusing on giving back and being a volunteer is just one way we can do our part in improving our communities.  I know people who volunteer with Hospice, the Literacy Council, the Red Cross, Churches, Bake Sales, etc.  If you need help finding an organization in your area visit www.volunteermatch.org or visit www.voa.org. 

 

All it takes is just one SIMPLE ACT

In 2013 try to devote 1 hour to volunteering for a cause close to your heart.  

 

TRASH

Today I was on a typical walk though my neighborhood.  I needed to enjoy the fresh air and clear my head -then there it was- TRASH! It was one of the reasons I started this blog and I want to share with you a SIMPLE ACT

Picking up Trash

Who picks up trash these days? I mean, sure, littering is frowned upon. But Who is going to pick it up? Then it dawned on me, that person could be ME.  I started doing it because my mother did it. I knew it was one way to keep the earth clean.  

It's free to do, anyone can find a place to do it, because Trash collects everywhere.  I picked up 4 small garbage bags today.  I primarily target items that will not decompose- cans, plastic, Styrofoam, tin foil. 

 

My hope is that as I walk my neighborhood street, people see me picking up trash.  My goal is to inspire them, through ACTIONS.  It doesn't mean that you have to devote your entire life to it, but be aware.  If you see something, pick it up! Don't pass it by.  You'd be amazed at how such a SIMPLE ACT can Change the World.

 

Imagine if we all did this....