Free time. What's that?

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” --Mother Teresa

I know, I know. A true fact about life is that you either have time or money, but never both. If you have a job, then you have no time. If you don't have a job, then you have no money. Somehow I managed to have very little time and money. Gotta love that worthless college degree...

BUT in my very little spare time, occasionally I like to volunteer it to others. 

So that's what I did today.

It wasn't earth shattering. I didn't cure poverty or world hunger. I just helped my mom with an event at the YMCA. But I respect the YMCA's mission and thus, feel like it was worthwhile. Helping occasionally is a great thing! If everyone did it, it would make a huge impact. And it's a much better use of my time than watching The Social Network, which may or may not have been what I did yesterday. But that's beside the point. Just overlook that.  

Who needs comfort anyway?

What am I doing today? Stepping out of my comfort zone.

I'm planning to go to somewhere tonight that I've never been before with people I don't really know. I never do things like this. I tend to frequent the same places with people that I know well. I don't even really like showing up places without a close friend. But I'm going and I'm determined to be friendly and outgoing and to have fun. It will happen. It's been decided. This probably makes no sense... but in my head it's a really big deal.

I also have been talking to people all day that I don't really know at work. I introduced myself to 3 people and I wasn't even the awkward turtle that I normally am! This is a big accomplishment. I know you're probably wondering how I could possibly be awkward when my blog is so thoroughly lovely and entertaining. I'm much more witty and charming in writing than in person, trust me. I'm also really modest about my writing skills :)

How does this benefit others? I stopped obsessing over how I was being perceived and actually interacted with other people on a real level. Maybe if I (we) did that more often... people would feel like they really matter and aren't invisible. So today was me trying to accomplish that in a small way.

Oh hey, mister local business owner. You're cool.

What am I doing today? Eating locally.

Eating and shopping locally is a great way to help your community. I mean, really... would you rather your money go to your neighbor or to some wealthy Wal-Mart-like corporation that kills everything in it's path.

Many studies have indicated that a dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local economy. Also, the food and products tend to be fresher than that of chains. Another benefit is that local places tend to have less strict policies and will reward you if you're a frequent visitor. They want to make you as happy as possible, so that you will continue to support them with your fork.

Yes, your local Italian restaurant tends to be a little more pricey than Olive Garden, but it's good to think twice about where your money is going and who is on the receiving end. Spend wisely.

Why, yes, I do love shopping

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” --Anne Frank

What did I do today? Went shopping for a cause.

My sister’s birthday is coming up. I usually get her jewelry or clothes from a random store in the mall. I almost did the same thing this year. But I thought to myself, “Stephanie, how can you buy your fabulous older sister something awesome and help the world at the same time?” So I responded by shopping for a cause. I perused many websites, which profits go to something way better than the 6 figure salary of a CEO with a comb-over. Here are my favorites:

www.worldofgood.com

“World of Good’s mission is to provide a trusted platform where individuals can create positive change through commerce, as part of a global community.

We believe that a growing number of individuals want to understand how the choices they make impact people and the planet. There is an important need for trusted information, and a need for transparency into how and where products are made. Our goal is to provide you with the resources needed to make good choices and to connect with others who share the same passion.”

www.globalgoodspartners.com

“Global Goods Partners is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering women, alleviating poverty and promoting social justice. We partner with community based organizations in marginalized regions of Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Middle East, creating access to the U.S. market for our partners’ handcrafted products and providing technical assistance to build sustainable livelihoods.”

www.buildanest.com

“Nest is a nonprofit organization that empowers female artists and artisans around the world. Using a unique combination of interest-free microfinance loans, mentoring from established designers, as well as a market in which to sell their crafts, Nest helps its loan recipients create successful small businesses. Nest instills pride of ownership, preserves ancient artistic traditions and successfully moves women from poverty to self-sufficiency.”

http://shop.stjude.org/GiftCatalog/index.do

100% of profits from sales at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital go to the children and cancer research. I have actually visited St. Jude and it is quite possibly the most magical and inspirational place that I have ever been. Everything and everyone is there to help the children.

I will not reveal which place I purchased something from (for fear of spoiling the surprise for my sister). But it is awesome. Next time you want to buy something, consider buying something from an organization that will make a difference. You can change someone’s life and get something cool at the same time. I see no problems with this.

Rice and vocabulary

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.” --Edmund Burke

What did I do yesterday? I donated rice.

I played a vocabulary game on http://www.freerice.com/. It doesn’t sound like much of a contribution to society, I know. But every time you answer a vocabulary question correctly, the organization donates 10 grains of rice to hungry people. This website is run by the United Nations World Food Programme.

The organization has two main goals: (1) to educate people for free, using this vocabulary game and (2) to end world hunger by providing rice to people in need. What an excellent combination!

Please check out this website. Even if you only answer a few questions, you are doing something small to help end world hunger. It doesn’t get much more awesome than that!

I don't use that.

“Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.” --Author Unknown

What am I doing today? Cleaning out my closet.

I love to periodically go through my stuff. Organizing the chaos of my life helps me to de-stress. But not only is it great for me and my mental sanity, it’s great for other people too.

My neighbors have 5 kids (two of the girls are about my size), so I always give them clothes and purses, etc. that I don’t use anymore. My old t-shirts are not doing anyone any good by sitting in my closet collecting dust. I might as well give it to someone who might actually use it. The best part is when I see them wandering the neighborhood in my old clothes... they’re like my little mini-mes.

I’ve also heard that hospitals appreciate when people bring in their old magazines or newspapers. So I’m planning to do that soon.

What other things do we throw away or have lying around that someone else could benefit from?

Experi-month #5: Little things, big differences

“If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.” – Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson

I realize that Michael Jackson is not the world’s greatest role model, but you can’t deny that Man in the Mirror is a phenomenal song with an applicable message. I have no idea what I want to do with my life professionally, but I know that I want to help people and make a difference. But I’m not doing that (per say) in my current job. Dilema.

So this month I have decided to try and make a difference in other ways. I have been thinking and thinking and thinking of ways to do this that don’t require a lot of time/money. Like most people, I work 8am to 5pm. By the time I commute home and eat dinner, it’s almost 7pm. That leaves me about 3 hours until I go to sleep. I usually fill this time with exercising, making my lunch for the following day and spending a little time with the family. It took me a while, but alas, I have developed a plan to maximize my time! And I’m so excited I can hardly stand it.

For 30 days, I will do something little that I think will make a big difference. I’m not going to save the world, but I might just make it a little bit happier place. It would make me super pumped if other people joined in too (hint, hint).

What am I doing today? Smiling at EVERYONE J

It’s cheesy, I know. But I did a little research... and apparently, smiling benefits all parties involved.

1.      Smiling changes your mood.

2.      Smiling is contagious (i.e. changes the mood of others).

3.      Smiling makes you more attractive to others.

4.      Smiling helps you stay positive.

5.      Smiling makes you more approachable.

I feel like these are all good things. If I’m in a good mood, maybe it will make someone else’s day better. Billy the Bus Driver didn’t call me Smiley for nothin’.

Results so far: two people asked me why I’m so happy today. People that I smiled at in the hallways at work smiled back. I made a new friend in the breakroom. The guy in the car next to me at a stoplight waved. And one person looked away... but she definitely saw the smile!

Go forth and smile! Let me know if you get any awesome reactions J

Someone ask me where Malti is.

I swear that I have been keeping up with my geography learning... but I have failed at writing about it. Sorry! It’s been another busy month.

I have a full-time job now, which requires me to stay mentally focused for 40 hours per week. I don’t think that minds are capable of that, personally. But I try. I’ve also been named as my sister’s maid of honor. So goodbye, Free Time. It was nice knowing you. I spend oodles of my spare moments shopping for wedding dresses, analyzing guest lists and oh, so much more. I’m happy to do it, of course. But whoever is lucky enough to marry me in the future should know that we will be eloping. Two reasons: I hate being the center of attention and weddings cost more than college educations. Unnecessary.

But I digress. I succeeded in learning geography. I’m still no expert, but I could definitely tell you where most countries are located. And if I can’t pinpoint it exactly, I can definitely give you the general area. But now, if someone brings up Bhutan or Burkina Faso, I will know that they are in Asia or Africa respectively. All I have to do is wait for someone to bring it up, and then I can astound them with my knowledge. It will be so great.

With all the excitement of geography in my life, I kind of forgot to come up with a topic for this month. Whoops. I was contemplating reading classic novels... but I feel as though that would be even less thrilling for you to read about than geography was. So suggestions would be tremendous.