As I live my life, I want to do simple things to make it a better place.  I want to brighten the outlook for other people.  I want to do what I can to ease their burden ever so slightly.

I don’t have the resources of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation so I have to look for simple and practical ways to make a positive difference.

I thought I’d compile a list of ideas for things to do and at the same time use it to inspire others to also better the life of another.

Where possible I have tried to include a link that expands on my idea.  I hope you find this useful!

1.  Give everyone you see a nice smile.

2.  Donate your slightly used clothes to a charity.

3.  Be a sounding board for a friend.

4.  Be honest and trustworthy.

5.  Always offer a shoulder to cry on.

6.  Visit someone in the hospital.

7.  Buy a discouraged family member some pretty flowers.

8.  Buy a co-worker lunch.

9.  Pay it forward when you receive an unexpected blessing.

10.  Become a Big Brother/Big Sister.

11.  Go on a mission trip.

12.  Tutor a child for free.

13.  Arrange a week of dinners for a couple with a new baby.

14.  Facilitate a Financial Peace class.

15.  Stop and help change a flat tire.

16.  Organize a day to clean up and beautify an area school.

17.  Read a story to your child.

18.  Praise a co-worker for what a great job they are doing.

19.  Accompany a friend to the doctor’s office.

20.  Volunteer at Meals on Wheels.

21.  Give a job applicant the break they deserve.

22.  Educate yourself on the issues and vote.

23.  Serve in the military.

24.  Help a friend or family member move to a new home.

25.  Plant some flowers for a neighbor.

26.  Send a care package to a deployed soldier.

27.  Send an encouraging letter to a government servant.

28.  Leave an extra big tip the next time you eat out.

29.  Tithe at your local church.

30.  Plant a tree.

31.  Participate in a hiking trail work party.

32.  Teach a Weight Watcher’s class.

33.  Live a modest, low-impact lifestyle.

34.  Reduce. Reuse.  Recycle.

35.  Teach an adult to read.

36.  Adopt an elderly person in a retirement home.

37.  Open up your home to a friend in need.

38.  Contribute to a microloan.

39.  Pick up groceries for a neighbor when they’re sick.

40.  Give first-time parents a date night out.

41.  Volunteer at your child’s school.

42.  Pick up trash along a stretch of road.

43.  Adopt a homeless pet, it will do you both good.

44.  Teach a Sunday School class.

45.  Don’t participate in gossip.

46.  Give away your surplus garden produce.

47.  Coach a youth sports team.

48.  Lead a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop.

49.  Practice simple kindness.

50.  Live your life by the Golden Rule.

I know there are a ton of other ways to make a positive difference in this our world.  I hope you’ll add your ideas in the comments below.

Photo by Per Ola Wiberg (Powi)