Archive for December, 2008

Dec 31

The Power of Less

Emotional, Financial, Mental, Physical Jason Mitchener 1 Comment »

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One of my favorite blogs to read is Zen Habits by Leo Babauta. Leo writes about many of the same subjects I do here on Forward Habit but in his own unique way. I don’t consider him a competitor, but another source that can help you attain your personal development goals.

Leo just released his book The Power of Less which teaches us how to simplify our lives so that we have more time (and money!) to focus on the things that are really important to us. In our ever-evolving world, it can be too easy to get caught up in the busy-ness and complexity of life. Leo’s book looks like a good aid to help declutter our lives both physically and emotionally.

I will post an in-depth review of Leo’s book the Power of Less in the coming weeks, but for now you can check it out on Amazon here:

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Dec 19

How to Really Make a Difference in People’s Lives

Emotional, Spiritual Jason Mitchener 2 Comments »

WM2006 Fan Fest Stuttgart - Volunteer
Creative Commons License photo credit: Heraklit

Fox has been broadcasting a new show called Secret Millionaire. The premise of the show is that a wealthy individual spends a week incognito in one of the poorest areas of the country. The millionaire lives on minimum wage during the week and has to get to know members of his adopted community. At the end of the week he decides what people or organizations to help by giving at least $100,000 of his own money. The millionaire reveals to the people that he’s been lying about his identity and hands them checks for anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000. After all the checks are given out, the millionaire usually reflects on how his life has been changed by seeing how poor people truly live and how he’s glad he was able to make a difference in their lives through his financial gifts.

I thought I would enjoy watching the show since I love shows that help people out like ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Instead I’ve been disgusted by the show.

Why Secret Millionaire Disgusts Me

  • The millionaire thinks he’s toughed it out by living a week in poor people’s shoes. I’m sorry but the millionare still doesn’t truly know what it’s like to be poor. After his week of “toughing it out” he gets to go back to his mansion, his yacht, and his Ferrari. He doesn’t have to worry about where the next paycheck is going to come from or if he’s going to survive next week.
  • The show gives the impression writing a check will really make a difference in people’s lives. I’m not saying money isn’t important in helping people, but there’s more to it than that. On the most recent episode, a multi-millionaire software company owner named Greg Haerr meets a teen named “Wheels” at a North Vegas skate park. Wheels was born with spina bifida. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, he does some awesome stunts on the ramps including a backflip. Wheels tells Greg he likes teaching other disabled teens how to deal with their disability and that he would like to someday start his own wheelchair company. At the end of the show, Greg gives Wheels a check for $20,000 toward starting the company. That’s wonderful, but will it really make a difference in Wheels’ life? Having once received a much larger amount, I’d have to say no. Greg has built a successful company, so wouldn’t it have been great if he took Wheels on as an apprentice of sorts and taught him firsthand how to build a company? Now that would have really made a difference in Wheels’ life.

Most of us don’t have the ability to donate large sums of money. What can we do to really make a difference in people’s lives?

Ways You Can Make a Difference

  1. Pay a weekly visit to a nursing home resident. During the holidays, nursing homes get many visitors from large groups of Christmas carolers to individuals dressed as Santa bearing gifts. But when the holidays are over, some nursing home residents don’t get any visitors. They spend the day in their room watching game shows and soap operas on television. You can brighten a nursing home resident’s life by paying a weekly visit to play a game of checkers, talk about their lives, or just share a cup of coffee.
  2. Become a Big Brother or Big Sister. Many young people don’t have positive role models in their lives. By donating an hour each week spending time with one of these youths you can be that role model. Being a Big Brother or Big Sister isn’t difficult, but it can have a lasting influence. You can find out more at http://www.bbbs.org
  3. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or a food bank. Like nursing homes, organizations such as homeless shelters or food banks get lots of help during the holidays. But they still need help throughout the rest of the year. You can provide that help by doing such things as passing out food trays or doing inventory at a food bank.
  4. Tutor children (or even adults) in reading. Books can open up entire worlds but many people won’t experience these worlds because they don’t know how to read. By tutoring them in reading you are enabling them to discover other cultures or learn a new skill. Contact your public library for possible tutoring opportunities.
  5. Coach a sport for kids. Sports are not only good to keep kids physically fit, but they can help teach kids about teamwork and leadership. By coaching a sports team, you help prepare kids for their futures.
  6. Help build homes for the poor. Through Habitat for Humanity you can help build homes for low-income families. Not only will you help the poor but you will learn a little about home construction.
  7. Provide extra help for a disabled person. Once a week, I have someone from church come by for an hour or two to help me with little things that I can’t do myself because of my disability. This can be anything from addressing envelopes to going grocery shopping. Contact organizations such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association to find out what opportunities are available in your area.
  8. Build a web site or a blog for a charity. A few years ago I built a web site for a local youth ministry called Aim Right Ministries. I still maintain the site for them and update it when they do things like their annual quilt auction. What technical skills can you offer a charity?
  9. Provide business mentoring. If you’ve built a successful business, you can provide mentoring to others to help them succeed. This can be done on your own or through organizations such as SCORE.
  10. Become a foster parent or adopt a child. I listed this last because there is no greater way to make a difference in a person’s life than to be a parent. Hundreds of thousands of children in the United States need foster parents and many of these are waiting for adoption. There are also many children in countries such as China or Romania that need to be adopted. Parenting is a great responsibility but it is also a great blessing.

With my criticism of the show Secret Millionaire, I don’t want to leave you with the impression that I’m against financial donations. Charities do need money to operate. But the next time you’re writing a check to a charity ask yourself what additional ways you can make a difference.

My list is obviously incomplete. So help me out … what other ways can we really make a difference in people’s lives?

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