Misc
Today, April 29, bloggers across the world are uniting to raise awareness for world hunger by publishing a post about the subject. This article is in conjunction with this Unite For Hunger and Hope initiative.
I not only want to awaken your mind the severity of hunger worldwide, but I also want to encourage your heart to help out those in need, today.
The Stats
The statistics on hunger are startling and really put things into perspective.
Remember when reading these stats, that there are about 6 billion people in this world.
- According to the UN Millennium Project over 800 million people go to bed every night hungry. And of that 800 million, 300 million are children.
- Every 3.6 seconds a person dies from starvation according to the same UN project. That’s about 25,000 people every day.
- This UN project also states that more than 1 billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water sources.
- Care.org states that 6 million children, of ages 5 and under die each year because of hunger.
- According to UNICEF 1 in 4 children in developing countries are underweight.
- And hunger doesn’t affect just developing countries. According to Bread.org 1 in 10 households in America are living with hunger or are close to going hungry.
What won’t help the fight against hunger
I know that you want to help those who are going hungry but before you can, you need to know what’s not going to help the fight against hunger.
Feeling guilty
“Finish your dinner. You should be grateful to even have any food. There are children starving in Africa.” This was a common thing parents used to say to their children to get them to finish their meals. Now it’s not recommended that you say such things to force your kids to eat more. Not only can it create overeating problems but it makes people feel guilty.
You may feel guilty, even as an adult when you can’t finish an entire meal. But you can’t beat yourself up. You aren’t making people starve and you aren’t going to help them by feeling guilty about it either.
One of the biggest misconceptions about hunger is that there isn’t enough food to go around. However, there may be enough food but the difficult part is transporting it. Think of how remote some of the hunger-stricken regions are.
Perhaps it’s better to feel obligated to do something instead of guilty. Feeling guilty demotivates you.
The “I can’t eliminate hunger” mentality
This is a sad excuse people give when they try to explain why they don’t help the hungry. Though one person may not be able to eliminate all the hunger in the entire world, they can certainly eliminate hunger for one person’s world around them or for an entire family or even town.
How you can help
Direct ways
- Look through your kitchen
If you can’t really afford to donate money to a hunger charity (which is hard to believe, it doesn’t take much) then you should look around your kitchen. See what kind of can and packaged foods you might have had lying around for awhile. You might not think you have a lot but once you start digging around you’ll be surprised at all the small items you’ll find that you can donate.
Take these items to a local food bank or soup kitchen.
- Persuade a restaurant
Perhaps you can persuade a local restaurant or market to donate their leftover food and packaged items to a local food bank as well. A lot of times people are very willing to help, they just don’t know where and how to do it. You can be the one to show them the way.
- Donate to hunger charities in need
A lot of these charities have been hit hard because of the economy so they need more help than ever. Here’s a list of charities, but I encourage you to search for others:
- Freedom from Hunger: http://www.freedomfromhunger.org
- Meals On Wheels: http://mowaa.org
- Feeding America: http://feedingamerica.org
- The Full Belly Project: http://www.thefullbellyproject.org
- Heifer International: http://www.heifer.org
- Share Our Strength: http://www.strength.org
- Project Angel Food: http://www.angelfood.org
Indirectly help fight hunger
You don’t have to just donate to hunger charities to help those who need access to food. You can also help people obtain clean water; which is just as desperately needed as food; provide shoes for people to get where they need to go, and help people help themselves out of poverty. Here are other types of charities in need:
- Soles 4 Souls: http://www.soles4souls.org
Provides shoes to those in need.
- Kiva: http://www.kiva.org
Provides microloans to small business owners in developing countries. Helps people help themselves out of poverty.
- Tap Project: http://www.tapproject.org
Restaurant owners ask patrons to donate $1 for the free water they receive during a meal. You can also donate online.
- charity: water: http://www.charitywater.org
This charity builds wells that access clean drinking water.
- Playpumps International: http://www.playpumps.org
Builds water pumps that are powered by the play of children. Children get to have fun and play, and access clean water at the same time.
Know of any other great charities? Please post in the comment section below so we can all check the organization out.
Many of us make our lives too hectic at some point, while most live a hectic life every day.
In doing so, we forget a lot of things because our minds are running faster than our legs.
If you feel like that, then take a little time to stop and remember…
- Changing your life in a positive way doesn’t need to take long.
- The average person lives for about 30,000 days.
- You must take a break from your pursuits once and while to just live in the moment and enjoy what you have.
- Happiness is a choice you have to make.
- You can’t take money with you to the grave or to the afterlife.
- Your dreams from childhood.
- Actions speak louder than words.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
- You don’t need to change EVERYTHING about your life.
- Simple actions can create huge changes.
- Obstacles in front of dreams are there to test you and stop those who don’t deserve to achieve them.
- Tomorrow is never guaranteed.
- Changing the world starts with you.
- Everything that is negative has many positives.
- It’s better to fail than to wonder.
- You don’t need money to enjoy yourself
- Going against the current makes you stronger.
- You have many talents, sometimes you just need to discover them.
- To help others every day.
- To stand up for what you believe in.
- Success doesn’t happen without failure.
- 1 billion people live without clean water.
- Be grateful for what you do and don’t have.
Know of anything else that people often forget when life is too hectic? Please share in the comments below.
Related articles:
- 75 questions to ask yourself
- 50 things to say before you die
One of the biggest reasons why the economy is having many troubles is because of people’s negative attitudes. Yes, the troubles are mainly caused by the mortgage mess and banking and investment firms, but negativity causes fear. It spreads like a viscous virus through the country and the world, urging people to pull out of the market and tricking millions more to put off their dreams or totally destroy them.
I know that you’re not like and that you not only want to stay positive and hold onto your dreams, but you want to make them a reality even during these times. To do this you need to break free from the negative thoughts that are surrounding you everywhere you go, even in your own house. This is your survival kit to this economic negativity.
Listed are various forms of media where you can get and keep motivation as well as find tips on living simpler, saving money, and improving your life or just find a place to escape to.
Websites
- Toilet Paper Entrepreneur
Site (and book) about entrepreneurial bootstrapping.
- Zen Habits
- Get Rich Slowly
- Reader’s Digest
The magazine’s site is full of motivating life stories and full of tips on how to live better.
- The Bridge Maker
- UN Millennium Project (pdf) and Care.org
These two links aren’t meant to bring more negativity to you or make you feel bad. They’re simply meant to force you to rethink your complaints and thoughts about your financial state or concerns.
- Seth Godin’s blog
- Marc and Angel Hack Life
- Cute Overload
A simple blog about pets and animals that will raise anyone’s spirits.
Books
*No links are affiliate
- Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream
- Career Renegade: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love
- Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson
- Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow
- The Last Lecture
- Think and Grow Rich
TV Shows
- What Would You do?
What Would You Do? is a hidden camera show on ABC that tackles many social issues. It shows that there are still a lot of great and kind people out there. Perhaps it will restore your hope in humanity.
- Adventures of an Incurable Optimist
Adventures of an Incurable Optimist is an upcoming ABC special hosted by Michael J. Fox airing on May 7th. Michael goes around the world looking for hope and creating it along the way to help people stay positive and achieve better lives.
Movies
- Cinderella Man
- Shawshank Redemption
- Good Will Hunting
- The Pursuit of Happyness
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Slumdog Millionaire
- Ghandi
- Homeless to Harvard
Have any other movies, websites, or TV shows that you use to stay positive when the world around you seems negative? Please share in the comments below.
Related articles:
- How to bail out yourself
- 15 benefits and lessons we now have from the economic crisis
- 9 ways you can take advantage of this terrible economy
Most life lists consist of things to-do, this list consists of 25 things to be in life.
1. A hero
2. A teacher
You don’t need to work at a school to be a teacher.
3. A shoulder to cry on
4. The underdog
5. The voice of reason
6. The comedian
7. A caregiver
9. Happy
10. A leader
11. A motivator
12. An adopter
You don’t have to adopt a child. You can adopt an animal or even a highway.
13. An adventurer
14. A bookworm
15. Accepting of others
16. A ray of sunshine
Sure, it’s corny, but you never know how your positivity can help someone.
17. Grateful
18. Loved
19. Unstoppable
20. Challenged
21. Childlike
Not all the time.
22. Fulfilled
23. You
Don’t ever attempt to be someone you’re not.
24. Alive
Don’t just exist, LIVE!
25. Be whatever you want to be
Don’t live someone else’s dreams.
Related articles:
- 75 questions to ask yourself
- 50 things to say before you die
You send out 10 cover letters and resumes a day. You search new job listings twice daily. You’ve been on dozens of interviews. It’s been months and months, yet you still don’t have a job, and you’re now bald from pulling your hair out.
Job searching can drive anyone crazy.
My sister has been looking for a position in the music industry for the past six months. She’s sent out countless resumes, went on a bunch of interviews, but she still hasn’t been able to find anything. It’s becoming very frustrating for her, but I’m helping her stay positive, driven, and focused.
If you’re in the same boat, here are seven ways to keep your sanity while on the job hunt.
1. Schedule your hunting times
The best bet is to look up job listings twice a day. Once in the morning and then once towards the evening when the business day is over, which is the time when new postings slow down on job sites.
Then decide how long you want to search for. Perhaps one hour or two hours each morning and evening.
You don’t want your hunting to be random because then you’ll mistakenly turn it into an all-day affair and you won’t be able to cut loose.
2. Don’t tell your friends/family about every interview
They probably mean well and want you to succeed, but you don’t need to tell your friends and family members about every interview you go on or every job you applied for.
If you do, then they’re just going to keep pestering you with questions or they’ll feed you more negativity like, “It’s the worst economy since the Great Depression.”
You just don’t need this unnecessary pressure.
3. Don’t apply if you’re not really excited
I know that desperation sets in quickly when job searching, but don’t apply for just any old jobs. You have to be genuinely enthusiastic with an industry, company, and position. Otherwise, you’re wasting people’s time, including yours.
4. Remind yourself of your great qualities
Do not beat yourself up when you don’t get a job. It’s not usually you’re lack of qualities; there’s a million factors that go into choosing a new employee.
Just remind yourself of:
- How driven you are
- Your experience
- Your personality
- What you did and said well on your interview
5. Do your research but don’t “stalk”
Obviously when you’re applying for a position you must research the company, the employees, and the company’s history. The same goes for before you go on an interview. However, after you’ve sent in your cover letter and resume to one company, move on to the next job. You don’t want to keep researching about a company and its employees for too long. You’ll become so focused on one company that you start reading every little article about the business and then if you don’t get the job, you’ll be crushed and frustrated that you wasted all that time.
6. Take a break – enjoy the weekends
Job searching is a full-time job itself. You deserve some time off from your pursuit. You won’t be missing much; how many listings are added on Saturdays and Sundays besides what’s printed in the papers?
If you don’t want to totally relax on the weekends, use the time to polish your resume or to stay up-to-date on your industry by reading articles.
7. Remember: You WILL get a job
It may take some time, but you will not be unemployed for the rest of your life. As long as you work hard, persist, and stay positive, you will find employment. It’s not a matter of if, but when.
Have any tips for job hunters to stay cool, calm, and collected while searching? Please share in the comments below.
Related articles:
- How to suck it up and deal with a job you can’t stand
- 15 benefits and lessons we now have from the economic crisis
- The Ultimate Survival Technique For The Economic Crisis
