You want to change the world? Go ahead. Do it. Because you can. It sounds so daunting, and I know how easy it can be to throw our hands up in the air and say, “Forget it. The job’s too big.” But it’s all in how you look at it. If you believe that everything you do and think and feel impacts the people around you, then you know you have the power to make a shift in the world. A smile on your face that brightens the cashier’s day – who then waves away the $2 the next customer is short – who then retains some pride in being able to feed his children – who then have a positive role model to look up to…oh my gosh, the impact of that smile!! And it’s all limitless: the potential, the impact, the creative ways in which you can deliver all of this…awesomeness…that’s just waiting for you to channel it.
Change the world. Today. Here’s a little inspiration. I’m not kidding – not a day goes by that I don’t learn about someone or a bunch of someones doing their part to create positive social change in authentic, creative ways. Today I’m sharing with you 3 of them.
This post is part of a linkup called #3ThingsThursday, hosted by Pink Chai Living, The Write Balance and Love Laugh Mirch. Swing by those blogs, read what they’re up to this week, and if you’re a blogger who wants to join in, add your link as well!
This one I heard about from Joelle, Marketing and Community Manager at ChatterBlock. If you are an elementary or high school teacher, please pay attention to this one! I’m going to be recommending it to my kids’ school because I think it is an incredible opportunity to empower our children to be creative and confident in entrepreneurship.
Essentially, classrooms are given the opportunity (including a $100 micro-finance loan, curriculum-based lesson plans and optional mentors) to gain some real entrepreneurial experience! And, of course for me to love it so much there has to be a charitable twist: each team or class donates their proceeds to one of Early Entrepreneurs charity partners. Awesome!
Here’s an excerpt from their Mission Statement:
Our vision is to create a world where students are not intimidated by finances but empowered by them; a world where creative thinking inspires students to see opportunities not problems; a world where businesses are built from the ground up to improve the planet, it’s people and makes a sustainable profit. Using project-based learning, we educate students on the principles of entrepreneurship and financial literacy while teaching them to be global citizens.
Please visit their site at www.earlyentrepreneurs.ca and let me know if your school gets involved with them!
2. Youth Opportunities Unlimited
At Christmastime we received an amazing gift basket! Not only was it filled with all kinds of unique jellies, salsa, relishes chutneys, crackers, and other goodies (Hello – jalapeno jelly! Yum!), I noticed that all of the bottles of condiments said Made By Local Youth. Of course, I looked them up on the internet and this is what I found. They are a social enterprise that empowers youth by giving them employment and education. I also love that they are Canadian (based in London, ON), and serve more than 3600 youth (aged 16-30) per year.
You can learn more about them, including ways you can help, by visiting their FAQ page. I especially love how they described social enterprise: A social enterprise seeks both financial success and social impact. It generates revenue from business to contribute back to the organization and eventually offset the need for funding.
Now, isn’t that the best of both worlds? Go check them out.
You’ve heard about Pink Shirt Day, right? It’s a symbol of our intolerance of bullying – in schools, workplaces, homes and cyberspace. There are many ways to get involved, which you can read about here, but this one caught my eye on Instagram this morning!
The internet can have a huge impact on our self-esteem, in many ways. Unfortunately, it’s become a stomping grounds for trolls and other bullies who target people for whatever reasons. #PinkItForward is about making the internet a positive space, and Coast Capital Savings is helping out in a big way!
To make it easy for you, I’m going to paste the instructions found on their site, but please do check out their dozens of other ways to participate.
How can you get involved? It’s simple:
1. During the weeks leading up to and on Pink Shirt Day – February 25th, post a photo of someone special on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. It could be a friend, teammate, colleague, family member, classmate or even someone you just met.
2. Add the caption below and fill in the blanks with their name and why they’re so awesome:
Twitter: For #PinkShirtDay, I appreciate ____________ because________. Now it’s your turn to #PinkItForward
Instagram or Facebook: For #PinkShirtDay, I’m helping to stop bullying by turning the Internet into a positive place. I #PinkItForward to ________ for _______________. Now it’s your turn!
3. Remember to tag that person so they can also #PinkItForward.
It’s that easy! And remember, each time someone spreads the kindness by using #PinkItForward, Coast Capital Savings will donate $1 to Pink Shirt Day – up to $45,000!
I hope this post inspires you and reminds you that you can do something, every day, to change the world. What will you do today?
If you want to share any businesses or initiatives that demonstrate creativity and kindness, please leave a comment or contact me!
