When examining the 2023 year ahead, are you looking for positive trends and opportunities to get yourself started on the right track? Do you look at things like hygge, hibernation, Lagom, and self-care? What trips you up every day? Need a lot more “Hygge” in your life?
Excel Management Systems’ thoughts and prayers go out to those fighting to preserve the sovereignty of their country in Ukraine. These events will have repercussions for everyone in our global system. The consequences could take generations to overcome. When history repeats itself, it’s time to “say something”. It’s time for peace. It is time to stop the unjustified and horrendous attack on the innocent. I encourage you to watch the following video, it is very touching. Video by: Snowflake (CC Mixter)
What programs are set up in your company to help support mental health and well-being? “The most important thing is to not use workplace wellbeing techniques as a bandaid to cover up deeper issues” noted Shafi. Rather, she gives a few focus techniques to help leaders provide open discussion about mental health without judgment.
Do you need to build a better memory and enhance recall? Bornstein addresses the impact of feeling overwhelmed. Gathering information processing and retaining that information is difficult when you have too much going on inside your mind. Organizing your thoughts, and giving them space in your mind helps you learn deep and fast to achieve the recall you need to be successful.
Our economic structure is fragile and can come falling down much easier that we expected. If our truckers could not drive our essential food supplies would disappear from the grocery store shelves in 2-5 days. This was witnessed when the Covid-19 lockdown first started. Start with a goal of obtaining a week supply of each of the above as a monthly goal. Then in a year each family would have a three month supply that would allow a family to live if we had a total lock down for a three month quarantine.
Worldwide, millions of people are trapped in the cycle of poverty. The poorest of which often suffer the greatest from a lack of access to clean drinking water, and sanitary conditions. The water they do have is usually acquired painstakingly by traveling long distances, sometimes up to 3 ½ or more miles. The young are often tasked with carrying the water (8 – 13 years). The cycle keeps them from education, and literacy – thus income later in life. Lack of water is also often attributed to serious illness and mortality rates for children.
Housing in America & the Chronic Homeless. It’s not just our veterans, but men and women, and whole families. Now we add college students and teachers to the list. Volunteers in American Helping the homeless stated on their website that ” In 2017, over 553,000 Americans were homeless. 40 million people struggle with hunger and 40.6 million officially live in poverty”.
Sunshine, fresh air, the great out of doors, sports and recreation! Street Soccer USA. The sport of soccer has had a great social impact on youth all across the country. Many cities and small towns offer soccer through their summer recreational programs. The social impact is positive for both boys and girls. Businesses often contribute to the sport, and many help with the much-needed funding for camps, team clothing (available to be personalized from Imprint), shoes, shin guards, and soccer balls.
As adults, we understand that the simple things in life matter the most. Providing clean water, food, and aid, to those in need, to name a view. Collaborating with like-minded businesses, individuals, churches, and organizations, one person at a time to make a difference – has a rippling effect. Churches hoping to use their platform as a pillar of the community may want to implement an online giving platform like Tithe.ly to collect donations from the congregation in order to put it towards their charitable causes. Rounding it up is just another way to give. Children are our greatest example of this type of giving. We need to be the example for them!
We encourage you to consider a donation to this heartbreaking effort. Do your research on a charity’s reputation for using donations effectively. Charity Navigator is a good resource to consult. Also, remember that sending money is almost always the most efficient way to help in a disaster, according to the Center for International Disaster Information, part of the United States Agency for International Development.
Reaching out to your local school district and asking to adopt a classroom or sponsor an event can mean the difference to a young mind. Hopefully, with your tax-deductible donation, it’s a win-win situation for you and your business.
It is important that people are able to locate loved ones. The Safe and Well Website offers individuals to list that they are safe by registering on the website. It also allows family and friends to search for loved ones.
Putting things into perspective. Food waste begins with all of us. If we train our children on the responsibility we each have to protect our food sources, we change a generation. Some sustainable businesses do donate their discontinued safe food that is not sellable to those in need. But organizations who would help to distribute the donations are minimal, as is storage. Most manufacturers have limited recycling facilities near them, and the cost of transportation is high, not to mention the liability concerns.
It takes time for the chronically homeless to learn to work. Is a homeless bus ticket program the only way out? For some, it may be that first step into a better future. For others, it’s just another stop, among many. Helping the homeless transition from living on the streets to actually holding down a job and gaining housing is tough. Tougher for those who are chronically homeless, versus those who can transition easier with the addition of low-income housing.
Get with some of your pals in the office and book your flights around an upcoming or ongoing charity operation that not only helps others in need, but helps instill a true spirit of camaraderie for you and your colleagues. Fly all over the world, do your business dealings, see the sights, meet and help others who might not have the benefits that you do. It’s not a guilt trip! It’s a fun trip! A trip where you help someone and in return they help you learn about culture, community, and being responsible for what you do with your time, your special skills, and your money. Some might even call it, paying it forward.
Running out of relationships is the number one cause of homelessness in America. Homelessness in America. Approximately 554,000 homeless people live in the United States. Out of that total, there are roughly 190,000 who have no shelter at all. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development capture the statistical reality of homelessness on the American streets. If you can imagine 8 to 10 NFL stadiums filled to capacity, you can begin to visualize the impact homelessness has on a community and a nation.
In the war-torn nation of Syria, children have taken center stage on the front lines of a horrific battle. A grown-up war. This is a crime against humanity, a war crime, and the world should not remain silent. Syria is in desperate need of help.
It is disheartening to know that most Syrian children living today have grown up never knowing peace. Today, everything around them is in ruin from barrel bombs filled with chlorine and sarin gases, and munition. Syria and their allies have been targeting medical facilities schools, humanitarian personnel, and civilians.
It’s important to pick the charity that fits your idea of giving. Something that gives you a sense of having done something good for your neighbor, your fellow man/woman, or your community. When you donate, check with the sponsors to see what the greatest need is. Do they need money, food, water, clothing, or just your time?According to N|P Source, 69% of the general charitable population gives some form of charity. Last fiscal year approximately 390 billion dollars went to charity. Americans like to give, and they are generous in that giving.
With a poverty rate of over 44%, devastated Puerto Ricans are badly in need of proper food, clean water, and housing. FEMA money is also scheduled to run out in Mid-March for the tiny US Territory. There are community organizers on the ground taking computers to remote locations to try to get as many people signed up with aid as quickly as possible – but it’s a daunting task. Many cell towers were knocked out in the storm, so communication is at a very low capacity still. Reaching the people, and the people being able to reach out is difficult.
There are many ways to give right inside your own company, organization, religious or educational institution, and your own home. Yet, I understand that there are also situations in other countries that do require much-needed aid. From time to time charity will not involve money. Sometimes it is the opening of oneself and the giving of respect, honor, and occasionally a fond farewell.
Collaborating with like-minded businesses, individuals, churches, and organizations, one person at a time to make a difference – has a rippling effect. How we pass along those attributes of giving to the next generation, is a secondary gift. Practice a fair amount of random acts of kindness, daily. There is so much to be gained on a personal level when you do. When you practice kindness, make sure your children see you doing it as well. You are their best role model. Kindness is year round – It does not end after one day. Kindness needs to be practiced 365 days a year, and it begins with you. It could be as simple as a smile, a hug, or a phone call.
Humanitarian Giving – If it is not fun you are doing it wrong . There is any number of articles out there about giving to charities. The best kind of articles, are the ones that show you what giving has done to help someone else. It’s seeing the smiles and receiving the heartfelt thank you’s coming from the recipients. Be it someone old, young, homebound, sick, or impoverished – it feels good to give. It can actually be fun to give.
Meeting the needs of providing a normal family life is difficult for some. Offering to help isn’t and shouldn’t be a handout – but rather a hand up with the support of a caring giver.
Encourage Giving – Donate Responsibly. It is always best to give cash, not personal belongings (or similar goods). What you may have in your household may not be needed in a disaster, unless asked for. Household items and old clothing can pile up quickly, and become an additional burden to organizers. The cost of shipping and sorting is also high, and such donation can actually get in the way. Consider selling your items and then donating the proceeds instead. Cash allows relief organizations to quickly get what is needed to those who need it the most.
Volunteers are more engaged when they are solving real world problems. There are a lot of prospective volunteers just waiting to connect with the right opportunity. I am intrigued by the emerging opportunities to potentially design volunteer positions that fit the life styles of the modern workforce. Charities that attract prospective volunteers from outside their comfort zones have really done their homework. For instance, Habitat for Humanity, and the National Park Service have leveraged the existing volunteer structure and added that personal connection. A connection that helps to turn prospective volunteers into committed ones.
Think of what it is you want to do gain from volunteering. Then get out there and experience a new challenge. Meet new friends, and help make your community a better place to live. “When children learn to improve their communities, they develop the capacity to organize others. They acquire problem-solving, planning, time management, and marketing skills. They learn about community agencies and how local governments work. Experiences that involve teamwork, collaboration, and interaction are training grounds for future organized citizens, people who set goals, work within established systems, and motivate others to help. These kinds of citizens coordinate food drives, develop recycling programs, or take part in community-action committees. In the middle years, children can learn the organizational and leadership skills that enable them to take more active roles in their communities as young adults.”
Volunteering – Stepping Outside your Comfort Zone. Giving out of your own need is the best medicine of all
Volunteer opportunities help people learn about themselves. You are working outside the box, outside your comfort zone, and allowing new experiences to help mold a better you. For example, when a construction worker attends a Humane Society Animal Adoption Day, and that person will walk away with a better understanding of the benefits of owning a pet, and how those special animals make people feel. Pets can change the way someone reacts to stressors, just by petting them.
Your work performance is greatly enhanced when you allow yourself to want to change for the good. It is also important to avoid those situations that put you in the direct path of a confrontation. Steer your team away from focusing on the problem, and ask them to work toward a positive pro-active approach instead. You know the problem, and you need to help guide your team(s) to constructively move toward a goal. Discover what unknowns might have been overlooked, and learn from them. But do not allow negative thinking to bring your team down.
Companies that allow youth to shadow and lay hands on a portion of a project – is the best education ever. It builds self-esteem, it’s engaging, and keeps youth motivated to return to your business or organization summer after summer until graduation.
Another way to help is to provide scholarships within a specific field that match your company’s goals and helps you retain this new trusted employee. Offer training packages if youth will sign on with your organization after college. There are endless options, if you really want to retain an employee and help foster their careers.
Your Donation to these youth shows your own appreciation for their service, no matter how young they are. Your change can change lives. Your change can make a change. Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving. – Henry Rosso
When we give out of our own business resources, we are helping to be a part of a change in the world, even if it is only in our own back yards; our own communities. Most business owners do not give because they have too, they do it because of the way it makes them feel when they do it. Knowing that their donation to a worthy cause might help make things better for someone else who is struggling in their community, has its own intricate value. Once in a while, we even give out of our own needs.
The history of Christmas has a long and winding past, through generations, continents, and cultures. For the history buffs, it’s a study they enjoy. We have Christmas cards, poinsettias, mistletoe, and of course the Christmas Tree. Christmas Tree? Where did we get a tree? And why do you use it? Who first discovered its use?
