9 Ways to Create Positive Change

Creating Positive Change

How can we create positive change in the world? With so many competing needs, it can seem overwhelming to decide where to put our energies. Beliefnet members' solution is to find what they're passionate about and start there.

Spread Peace in Small Ways

When I was younger, I thought I had to do or be involved with something really big to make a difference and spread peace. Now I believe that I have the ability to create peace on earth every day with every person I come in contact with. Sometimes just a smile can bring peace to someone. I believe the little things matter.

Staying out of the gossip at work, not reacting to the mean driver behind me on the way home, listening to someone who needs to talk, doing what I can to help those around me. I also think that teaching my son by example to be tolerant of others' beliefs and practices is very important. I may not be able to bring peace to the whole world, but I can work on bringing peace to my little corner of it.

– siren_of_titan

Help Seniors and Their Caregivers

Today I was able to help educate a group of caregivers for the elderly and thank them for their service to seniors. I think that they may feel unappreciated because they are overworked and underpaid. I thanked them for their passion and hoped that getting this positive message would help them with their daily responsibilities.

I am the lucky one, that's for sure, that I get to be a part of the lives of the elderly. It is such a joy to make a difference in their lives. They have lost so much, yet experienced so much, and deserve to have some compassion in their lives as they deal with what they have to deal with now, on a daily basis.

--meowser

Prevent Accidents

Remove any obstacle you find on the path or in the road. You may prevent someone from falling over it and prevent injury! A large stone on a pathway, or a broken stick and broken glass may be obvious to us, but someone with impaired sight may not see them.

-–nightgoneblack

Foster a Child

If you asked me six months into my foster parenting experience, I'd have said, "No! Run and hide! Find another way to be a good person." But ask me now, and I'll tell you it's one of the best things I've ever done in my life, to take in a very at-risk teenager. This is a story with a wonderfully happy ending.

Our formerly troubled foster daughter is now 19, a freshman in college (we paid the tuition and books)...Three weeks ago she was baptized in our church. She had asked my husband and me to be her godparents. What an honor to us! Every Sunday night we chat on the phone with her as well our other grown kids.

We were "friends in need" to these young people. It was very, very hard at times to be so -- but oh, yes, it is definitely something I am so very, very glad we did. Our relationship with these young women will undoubtedly last forever.

--SweetBetsy

Act Locally

Think globally, act locally. Local elections are very important, the candidates we elect will have a direct effect on our lives and the environment around us. Getting involved from the ground up we can really make history and establish good friendships with those we support. I can't stress enough how very valuable this could be or is to our causes.

–Cleo

Write a Living Will

I have a Living Will and in it it states that all my body can be donated. Once my ashes are scattered in the wind, they won't be able to help anyone, so I hope someone can use me!

--Suzy

Respect the Earth

As time goes on, my respect and love for the planet has grown a thousand-fold. Rather than feeling like a victim of policies and politicians, I choose to remain an active positive force in helping to heal our Mother Earth by getting involved and sharing how we can all make a difference if we only try.

I find that being an environmentalist has been a tough, responsible job! I can no longer be unconscious about my "habits" anymore. I can't help but feel that my actions affect the whole. Over time what started out as a gradual way of doing things have ended up as lifestyle changes (some major!). Even so, there's no turning back and pretending not to notice.

--dharmagirl

Find Your Cause

My life is pretty much about volunteering, though I do work for a nonprofit as well, raising money for education. I do quite a bit through my church, and crochet and sew for at least a dozen charities. I also participate in fundraising for a few other organizations. It never feels like I can do enough, with all the needs that are out there! Barbara

–QuietQuakerLady

Make Friends Around the World

Peace and love are both connected. I have a friend in another country, and she is really a blessing to me. I feel like we are close friends. So maybe we need to love all nationalities, countries. I have another friend who has done missionary work overseas and loves it so much she has decided to go back again.

--jessie09

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