39 Little Things You Can Do Every Day to Make the World a Better Place

Living in a world free from poverty, disease, crime, violence, and environmental degradation is a dream that we all share. However, achieving this dream requires more than just complaining or shifting blame. It requires each one of us to take small steps each day to initiate positive change in the world. Here are 39 little things you can do every day to make the world a better place:

1. Say Hello: Start by greeting people you meet on the streets. 80% of people are generally good and decent, and they deserve a simple greeting.

2. Laugh and Give Others the Benefit of Doubt: Laughter is contagious. Try to see the best in people and give them the benefit of the doubt.

3. Give Free Hugs: Offering someone a hug is an excellent way of reducing stress and tension. Plus, it’s a gift that is immediately reciprocated and can make people feel great long after.

4. Smile at People: A simple smile and asking how someone is doing can brighten someone’s day and make them feel connected and appreciated.

5. Really Listen to People: Without interrupting or waiting impatiently, listen intently to what someone has to say. Giving someone your undivided attention can make all the difference in the world.

6. Pass Along Compliments: Find something you can appreciate in people and pass along compliments. Everyone loves to be appreciated.

7. Offer Directions: If you see someone lost and in need of directions, offer to help. It’s a simple gesture that can make someone’s day.

8. Provide Support: Help someone struggling to achieve a goal by offering money, advice, or other forms of support. This small action can make a significant impact.

9. Babysit for Free: Offer your time to babysit someone’s child, giving them a much-needed break.

10. Foster an Animal: Provide a home for an animal in need by offering to foster them.

11. Feed Animals: If you have pets or come across wildlife, give them food and water to drink. They will appreciate it.

12. Water Plants and Lawn: Water your plants, lawn, and garden early in the morning before moisture is lost to evaporation.

13. Leave Treats: Leave treats out for pets, wildlife, and furry friends to enjoy, such as nuts for squirrels, a salt lick for deer, or fill up the bird feeder.

14. Respect Elders: Be patient, kind, and respectful to people who are older than you.

15. Respect Property: Respect other people’s property, and do not take or damage it maliciously. Instead, protect and keep it safe.

16. Hold Doors Open: Hold doors for people carrying heavy things, pushing strollers, or just immediately behind you.

17. Return Grocery Carts: Offer to return grocery carts for people who are leaving when you are going toward the store entrance.

18. Refer People: Refer your friends, family, relatives, and acquaintances to qualified service providers.

19. Help a Neighbor: Help a neighbor with a task, such as taking trash to the curb, raking extra leaves, or running an errand.

20. Share a Meal: Share a special meal with those you care about.

21. Create Necessity Packs: Create packs with necessities and give them to people unsure of where their next meal or shelter is going to come from.

22. Drive Responsibly: Drive responsibly, obeying stop lights, traffic rules, and keep a safe distance between you and the car ahead.

23. Give Preference: Give preference to pedestrians, motorists, or other road users at intersections. Kindness starts with you.

24. Offer Your Seat: Offer your seat to someone who needs it.

25. Read to Others: Read to kids, the elderly, and shut-ins.

26. Donate What You Don’t Need: Donate what you don’t need in your house to shelters, the Salvation Army, or other institutions serving those in need.

27. Let Someone Off the Hook: Let someone off the hook for a mistake or misdeed, and see how it makes both of you feel.

28. Recycle Trash: Save your recyclable trash until you find someplace to recycle them.

29. Turn Off Your Computer: Turn off your computer instead of leaving it in sleep mode. You can save 40 watt-hours per day.

30. Turn Off Lights and Faucet: Turn off the lights and faucet when not in use.

31. Turn On Oven Only When Needed: Turn on the oven only when you put the dish in to save energy. Don’t pre-heat the oven unless you are making bread or pastries of some sort.

32. Use One Less Napkin: Use one less napkin a day. More than a billion pounds of napkins could be saved from landfills each year.

33. Use Both Sides of Paper: Use both sides of paper, and set your printer’s default option to print double-sided (duplex printing). You’ll be saving many trees.

34. Recycle Newspapers: Recycle your daily newspaper. Recycling just the Sunday papers would save more than half a million trees every week.

35. Take Short Showers: Take shorter showers. Every two minutes you save on your shower can conserve more than ten gallons of water.

36. Make Art: Create art – paint, sculpt, sketch, write, compose music, create dance moves – whatever it is. Do it and finish it.

37. Ban Bath Time: Take showers instead of baths. Baths require almost twice as much water and inflate energy costs.

38. Brush Without Running Water: Brush your teeth without running the water. You’ll conserve up to five gallons per day.

39. Shower with Your Partner: Taking a shower with your partner may be an eco-friendly option, and it comes with other potential benefits.

In conclusion, remember that every individual has a role to play in making this world a better place. The little things we do today can have a significant impact on the world at large. So let’s start by taking small steps to initiate positive change in the world.