Earlier this week, I had to work late. I hadn't eaten any lunch, so by the time I left work, I was cross with the world. When I got outside, there was a woman sitting in the atrium. She gestured to me, asking if I could take her picture. I agreed, but was ver annoyed to be doing it.
After the picture, she took out a piece of paper from her bag. "What now?" I thought. The name and the address of Rockefeller Center was on the paper. She wanted me to direct her there, but she didn't speak or understand english, and my french was terrible on my best day.
It became obvious that I would have to take her there myself. Another inconvenience, considering my day.
I tried valiantly to communicate with her on our walk to Rock Center. It was no use. We met her bilingual cousin in front of J Crew who was able to give me some more information.
Turns out the woman was visiting from one of the two places in the world I want to visit: Morocco! She was so grateful to me that when she heard I wanted to visit Morocco, she gave me her contact information and insisted I stay with her. Karma is a good thing.
The Idea: Take some time to help a tourist find their way.
The Cost: $0...just some of your time.
The Benefit: You just might make a friend across the world.
Oct 19, 2007
#42: Get S.M.A.R.T. About Your Finances (Friday, October 19)
Yesterday was National Get Smart About Your Credit Day (how many people knew that?). Hopefully, after my Pay What You Owe entry (Good Friday #38) many of you were inspired to take a second look at your debt situation.
But so many of us are still not where we need to be financially; and many have no idea how to get where we want to go.
The Idea: Identify one area of your financial situation you'd like to improve (such as Saving, Investing, Retirement, Credit...). Attend a financial seminar on that topic and take a teenager with you. Financial services companies offer free seminars on various topics all the time. You just need to take the first step to find one. Contact your bank, local community organizations (such as the NY Urban League, who is sponsoring the workshop I'm currently teaching), or just do a Google search. Once you've identified a free investment seminar, register yourself and take a teenager or young adult with you.
To get the most out of the seminar, write a list of your financial goals before you go. Your financial goals should be Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and have a Timeline (SMART).
The Cost: Seminars are almost always given free - but they will try to make a client out of you, which is why knowing what you want to accomplish is important.
The Benefit: You will feel better about your financial situation, and by taking a young adult with you, you're empowering someone of the next generation to be smarter about their finances.
Just A Thought:
At this present moment, there's a child somewhere in America who is possibly dying - but his parents don't know it. Why? Because he doesn't have health insurance, so he only goes to the doctor (i.e. the emergency room) when he's sick.
There is currently legislation that could give health insurance to 10 million low income children, but the president has vetoed the bill. Speak to your congress persons, sign petitions and get involved. It may not be your child, or you may not consider yourself low income, but with the state of the world as it is, one of those circumstances may apply to you one day.
But so many of us are still not where we need to be financially; and many have no idea how to get where we want to go.
The Idea: Identify one area of your financial situation you'd like to improve (such as Saving, Investing, Retirement, Credit...). Attend a financial seminar on that topic and take a teenager with you. Financial services companies offer free seminars on various topics all the time. You just need to take the first step to find one. Contact your bank, local community organizations (such as the NY Urban League, who is sponsoring the workshop I'm currently teaching), or just do a Google search. Once you've identified a free investment seminar, register yourself and take a teenager or young adult with you.
To get the most out of the seminar, write a list of your financial goals before you go. Your financial goals should be Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and have a Timeline (SMART).
The Cost: Seminars are almost always given free - but they will try to make a client out of you, which is why knowing what you want to accomplish is important.
The Benefit: You will feel better about your financial situation, and by taking a young adult with you, you're empowering someone of the next generation to be smarter about their finances.
Just A Thought:
At this present moment, there's a child somewhere in America who is possibly dying - but his parents don't know it. Why? Because he doesn't have health insurance, so he only goes to the doctor (i.e. the emergency room) when he's sick.
There is currently legislation that could give health insurance to 10 million low income children, but the president has vetoed the bill. Speak to your congress persons, sign petitions and get involved. It may not be your child, or you may not consider yourself low income, but with the state of the world as it is, one of those circumstances may apply to you one day.
Oct 11, 2007
#41: Tag Your Friends (Friday, October 12)
I recently became aware of a phenomenon on the internet called tagging. You answer specific questions about yourself, then name two people you want to answer the same questions. Think how much more powerful tagging could be if used towards volunteerism?
The Idea: Tag two of your friends to do something specific that will impact someone they don't know. Send an email to all of your friends, name the two people you'd like to tag and the task(s) they should do.
The Cost: A moment of your time, and an email.
The Benefit: You can touch the lives of more people by encouraging your friends to tag others as well.
I'm tagging:
Rashida, to use her crocheting talent to make a scarf/hat for a homeless person for the winter.
Erica, to bake a batch of brownies (if I remember, you make good ones) and bring it to the precinct down the block as a thank you for keeping your neighborhood safe.
This one's a bonus: My line sisters, to come up with a volunteer initiative we can all do together for our 10th anniversary.
The Idea: Tag two of your friends to do something specific that will impact someone they don't know. Send an email to all of your friends, name the two people you'd like to tag and the task(s) they should do.
The Cost: A moment of your time, and an email.
The Benefit: You can touch the lives of more people by encouraging your friends to tag others as well.
I'm tagging:
Rashida, to use her crocheting talent to make a scarf/hat for a homeless person for the winter.
Erica, to bake a batch of brownies (if I remember, you make good ones) and bring it to the precinct down the block as a thank you for keeping your neighborhood safe.
This one's a bonus: My line sisters, to come up with a volunteer initiative we can all do together for our 10th anniversary.
Oct 5, 2007
#40: Just $5 (Friday, October 5)
Whether it's saying hello or taking your own bag to the grocery store you can impact your surroundings in a positive way without spending a dime. But sometimes spending a little cash can also impact someone in a positive way.
Case in point: a couple days ago, I was standing on line in Duane Reade to get a bottle of water. I wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings. When I got to the counter, the clerk told me that the woman in front of me had paid for my water. I looked around, she was gone. It was just a random, anonymous act of kindness.
The Idea: Do a random act of kindness for someone else and don't wait for a thank you. Here are some ideas of things you can do that don't cost a lot, but may have a lasting impact:
Case in point: a couple days ago, I was standing on line in Duane Reade to get a bottle of water. I wasn't really paying attention to my surroundings. When I got to the counter, the clerk told me that the woman in front of me had paid for my water. I looked around, she was gone. It was just a random, anonymous act of kindness.
The Idea: Do a random act of kindness for someone else and don't wait for a thank you. Here are some ideas of things you can do that don't cost a lot, but may have a lasting impact:
- pay for a small item (cup of coffee or a toll) of the person in line behind you;
- leave extra money in the dryer for the next person to dry their clothes;
- tape exact change to the vending machine for the next person who uses it;
- leave some extra time on the parking meter for the next person or put in a couple quarters on a meter that has already expired if you're walking by;
- on the expiration date, give your unlimited metro card to someone who is about to get on the subway; or
- buy two umbrellas on a rainy day and give one to someone else...
The possibilities are endless!
The Cost: Less than $5
The Benefit: You never know what people are going through; your simple act of kindess could help turn someone's entire day around and could also motivate them to do the same for someone else.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
