Wow, that's really food for thought wow. Thanks for sending that. Have a great Labor Day.
Peggy Sent from my IPhone. > On Sep 2, 2017, at 7:22 PM, M. Taylor <mk...@ucla.edu> wrote: > > Hello All, > > Given the recent turmoil in the world, Cara and I decided to post the > following article to both the Mac Visionaries and V iPhone mailing list. > > We hope you find it useful. > > Mark > > 22 positive, practical things you can do to feel better about yourself and > the worldz > USA Today Network > By Anne Godlasky, USA TODAY, Published 1:14 p.m. ET Aug. 31, 2017 | Updated > 9:33 a.m. ET Sept. 1, 2017 > > If all you can do is crawl, start crawling. -Rumi > > In other words, do something even if it's small. These words of wisdom (from > the famed poet, not the Beyonce twin) are especially fitting now when the > world seems more complex and polarized than ever. > > "Small actions can make a huge difference. When you think about what has > 'made your day,' it's often small acts of kindness given or received," said > Meg Selig, author of Changepower! 37 Secrets to Habit Change Success. "So > much research shows that helping others - which some call 'mitzvah therapy' > - leads to happiness." > > Get started by picking and choosing from this list of "actionable" everyday > ideas - crowdsourced from readers, fellow journalists and psychology experts > > 1. Before you get into an online war of words, take a breath. > If you are itching to deploy a withering retort to someone on Facebook, > think about how you would frame it if the roles were reversed. Are you > name-calling and giving in to your worst, knee-jerk instincts? Or are you > making thoughtful arguments focused solely on ideas, policies and values? > Edit your comment, if necessary, so that you can answer "no" to the first > question and "yes" to the second. > "Getting into a war of words with others who don't share your views hardly > ever makes things better," said Toni Bernhard, who's written books on living > well. "People are deeply attached to their views ... so I don't recommend > that you try to talk people out of their opinions. It's time wasted that > could be spent doing something constructive for yourself or others." > > 2. Get offline > If disengaging from negative comments doesn't work, consider limiting your > "intake of disturbing news stories and opinion articles," says Selig. > "Think about what is important to [you] and then go and do that, regardless > of the latest social media 'outrage cycle,'" said Selig. "Too much revolving > around [it] could just knock a person off balance." > Unplugging from technology also gives you a chance to connect with people > face to face and better observe nature and the world. > > 3. Commute kindly. > It's nobody's favorite part of the day, but that doesn't mean you have to > cut people off, tailgate or otherwise exhibit road rage. Let people merge. > Sing in the car. Don't push on the subway. Find music or podcasts that > invigorate or enlighten you so you can walk into work or home a little > happier. > > 4. Take a CPR/First Aid course. > You could save a life someday. Find a Red Cross class near you. > > 5. Tell your spouse, your bae, your buddy you love them. > If you feel it, let them know. > "Expressions of love are a wonderful way to give support," Selig said. > "Sometimes just to know someone else cares helps you feel stronger and more > resilient." > > 6. Reach out. > If you know a family member, friend or even just an acquaintance is going > through a hard time, reach out to them - don't assume someone else will do > it. It's OK if you don't know what to say. Just listen. Remember if they're > grieving or have experienced a trauma, they'll likely receive an immediate > outpouring of kindness, only to face a drought months later when their need > remains but others think they should be over it. You could even set up a > calendar reminder to check in. > > 7. Give time. > You know how we said "just listen"? That goes for everyday interactions, > too. Ask "how are you?" and mean it. Give them time to answer. Go a little > bigger: Do "microvolunteering" from the comfort of your couch through > HelpFromHome.org or Skills for Change. Go bigger still: Give your time to a > food bank, a tutoring program, a community garden. Check out volunteer > opportunities through your place of worship, school or community center. As > philosopher Simone Weil said: Attention is the rarest and purest form of > generosity. > > 8. Give money. > Set up recurring donations to causes you care about. Make sure they're legit > (i.e. putting your money toward programming) by checking their rating on > CharityNavigator, GuideStar or the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving > guide. > > 9. Give better gifts. > Unfortunately, "a donation has been made in your name" doesn't always spark > a smile in the recipient - especially a kid! But you can still give stuff > and have it at least partly benefit others through sites like Goodshop or > uncommongoods or even simply by choosing retailers committed to good things, > like clothing made in America rather than Bangladesh. It's not just boutique > brands that give back, either. Consider L.L. Bean, Patagonia and Toms; Burts > Bees or Lush; and for toys, B. and Hape lines are sold at Target and other > major chains. > > 10. Give praise. > Praise a co-worker or employee for a job well done. Praise a child for > sharing. Praise a stranger for stopping to let you cross the parking lot, > even if it's just with a smile and a nod. It's pretty simple: When you > witness behavior you want to see more of, encourage it. > > 11. Go ahead, get political. > "You might attend a rally to show support for what you think is right or you > might make phone calls to elected representatives about upcoming > legislation," said Bernhard, who also recommended attending city council > meetings and writing letters to the editor. "Letting your anger brew until > it's at a boiling point is not a way to create positive change. Act out of > compassion and ask yourself what you can do to make things better, one step > at a time." > > 12. Keep learning. > Passionate about an issue? Learn all about it. Sometimes the best way to > help yourself and others (not to mention come up with solutions) is to know > what you're talking about. > "I would suggest choosing one area of life that matters to you - anything > from books and libraries to health care to political change," Selig said. > "Learn about it and figure out a way to contribute something positive to > that area." > Free resources and courses are available everywhere from your local library > to iTunes U and the Khan Academy. > > 13. Keep snacks and socks handy. > You don't have to live in a city to come across people in need. If you don't > want to give cash, non-perishable food, such as breakfast bars, and clean > socks, scarves or toothbrushes are always helpful (9-year-old Jahkil Jackson > calls them "Blessings Bags.") > > 14. Use real silverware instead of plasticware. > Even for parties, even at work. You've got 'em. It's easy. You deserve a > medal if you use the metal. > > 15. Don't just recycle - freecycle. > Getting rid of an old couch? Old toys? Old clothes? Any and all of it can be > posted on Facebook Marketplace, as a Craigslist "curb alert" or on Freecycle > so that someone else can make your trash their treasure. You might find > something you like while you're on there and save yourself some cash in the > process. > > 16. Read fiction. > It'll stretch that empathy muscle, plus offer an escape from the daily > grind. > "When you make a deliberate effort to see the world from another's point of > view, you are exercising your empathy muscle," Selig said. "Connecting to > another human being through this kind of compassionate understanding is > fulfilling for both people and even healing. A little more empathy could > help counter some of the polarization we see today." > > 17. Be kind to strangers. > "When you have the impulse to help or be generous, often we talk ourselves > out of it," Bernhard said, noting a lesson learned from popular meditation > teacher Sharon Salzberg. "My rule is that when I feel that initial impulse > to help, I have to go ahead and do it. And I've never regretted it." > You never know how it might come back to you. > > 18. Don't run the dishwasher until it's full. > Easy one. And handwash big items like Tupperwear and pots and pans - it's > better for your utility bills and the planet. > > 19. Help an elderly neighbor. > This could mean anything from bringing in their mail or raking their leaves, > to adding their shopping list to yours the next time you get groceries. Or > better yet, invite them along. At least 8 million adults over age 50 are > affected by isolation and loneliness, which can impair mental performance, > compromise the immune system and increase the risk of vascular, inflammatory > and heart disease. Don't know any old neighbors? Check out Meals on Wheels > or other charities geared toward helping seniors. > > 20. Take a walk outside - and bring a bag > Numerous studies show the personal mental and physical health benefits of > time spent outdoors. And if you bring along a leftover plastic bag from the > store to collect discarded bottles and the like, you can make it better for > the next person walking in your path. > > 21. Eat your veggies. > Eating more plants and fewer animals is not just good for your health > (including a lower risk of cancer), it's also good for your budget and the > planet. And it's surprisingly easy: > > 22. Smile. > No, not in the "you're so much prettier when you smile" way. Not even in the > "negative emotions make me uncomfortable" way. No, smile for yourself. > Research has shown smiling decreases stress and could even increase > lifespan. > "Smiling is one of the fastest and easiest ways to create social connection > between people," American happiness researcher Shawn Achor said. "Research > shows social connection is the greatest predictor of long-term levels of > happiness." > > Original Article at: > https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/08/31/22-positive-practi > cal-things-you-can-do-feel-better-yourself-and-world/601010001/ > > -- > The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. > > If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if > you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or > moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > > Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: > mk...@ucla.edu. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at > caraqu...@caraquinn.com > > The archives for this list can be searched at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "VIPhone" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/viphone. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: mk...@ucla.edu. 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