Living in Gratitude: 7 Ways to Make the World a Better Place

You make the world a better place by making yourself a better person. ~Scott Scorrell

During our lifetime, each of us makes an impact. One of the most significant impressions we can make is by doing what we can as individuals to make the world a better place.

Here are 7 ways we can have a positive influence.

1. DO NO HARM

If everyone endeavored to achieve this goal, our world would be transformed. We should all strive to live by this motto. Help others. Be patient. Smile more. Say thank you. Be courteous. Make eye contact. Spread kindness, love, and goodwill every day.

2. ENJOY YOUR TIME

Instead of focusing on the negative, look at what is wonderful and amazing. Sure, it’s easy to get caught up in what isn’t going our way, to complain, argue, and get upset or annoyed. Yet by looking and being grateful for the good, we can shift our outlook, enjoying what life has to offer.

3. UPLIFT THE NEXT GENERATION

Being a good parent or grandparent (or an encouraging adult influence if you don’t have children in your life) is a way to positively impact and inspire the younger generation and as such, the world as a whole. Working toward offering youth new and better opportunities, talking to them about what it means to be part of a connected, global world and teaching them to make their own uplifting contributions is a huge payoff for the next generation.

4. EXPERIENCE AND EXPLORE

Many of us experience the world through the displays of our smartphones, computer monitors, and television screens. To truly understand our world, it is critical to get out and experience it firsthand. It is also vital to explore our own inner worlds by exploring how we, as individuals, tick. This offers a ‘big picture’ of what the world has to offer as well as what makes us unique as a person. This type of experience and exploration encourages limitless learning, allowing us to grow and better contribute over our lifetime.

5. CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

It is important that we preserve our planet’s health. By doing our part, however small, in minimizing our ‘footprint’ on Earth, the better we all will be. Reduce, reuse, recycle, buy sustainable products, walk more, drive less. It all adds up. If we all do a little bit, we can accomplish quite a lot!

6. DO GREAT WORK

Discovering what we love to do, what strikes passion in our very core, is key. When our work and our passion unite, we can achieve amazing things, leaving a legacy of good in our wake. This search for work that inspires can be a journey for many, so while we are on the road to discovering this passion, we can continue to do our best in all the work we do.

7. BE THE VERY BEST YOU

Being the very best person we can be is a noble ambition, one that can be difficult but has such all-encompassing results. Being human, of course, we may have setbacks. But if we start each day with this intention, we can and will be the pebble that makes positive ripples in the pond.

Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects. ~ Dalai Lama

Our best chance of having a broad, positive impact on the world is by focusing on what is right in front of us: our behavior, our friends, family & children, our work, our inner self, and our environment.