Positive News

Published Dec 06, 2021

When we think of Christmas, the first things that come to mind are presents, parties, and shopping. Unfortunately, whether we admit it or not, this is what Christmas has reduced to – a veil for mass consumerism.

The advent of social media has further intensified this want for material things. Gone was the simple Christmas of our youth, where everything was much less complicated. There was no pressure to snap the perfect Christmas photo or go on an expensive holiday trip that is definitely way out of our budget.

It seems that in the midst of all the holiday chaos, we have forgotten the true essence of Christmas. We fail to remember that Christmas is more than just giving and receiving presents. Nor is it about getting drunk at every party that you’ll go to.

We celebrate Christmas because, on this day, thousands of years ago, salvation came to mankind. This should be the primary reason for the season. The presents and other material trappings should only serve as the “topping to the cake.”

Keeping Christmas simple makes it much more meaningful. Here are some tips on how you can celebrate a simple, no-fuss Christmas this year:

1. Celebrate Within Your Means

For some people, Christmas is mostly about maxing out their credit cards. With all the holiday promotions and discounts, it’s certainly hard to keep your bank balance intact.

If you’re one of these people, I want you to think about the things you bought last Christmas. Can you remember them all? No? That’s because it doesn’t really matter. You probably don’t even remember why you bought half of it in the first place. Yet, you will be working overtime for several months just to pay for that credit card bill.

So before you rack up debts this holiday season, keep your expenses to the basics. Don’t splurge on things just to get more likes on social media or look good in front of other people. If you can’t afford that expensive European holiday, don’t push it. Keep a budget and stick to it.

2. Invest in Memories

This Christmas, invest in memories. Instead of spending hours lining up at department stores, try doing activities that the whole family will enjoy. For example, you can decorate the Christmas tree, watch Christmas movies, make sugar cookies, participate in Christmas baking contests, attend the town’s Christmas parade, or read the bible together.

At the end of the day, it’s these little moments with your loved ones that will matter. Your kids will soon forget about the Christmas gifts they received, but the memories you shared will stay in their hearts for a long time. 

3. Practice Giving Back

This season is not just about receiving; it’s also about giving. Nothing compares to the satisfaction and contentment you’ll feel in knowing that you’ve made someone happy. Luckily, there are a lot of ways you can practice giving back this Christmas. You can:

• volunteer at a soup kitchen
• donate old clothes to the homeless
• visit an orphanage
• bake cookies for your less fortunate neighbors
• make holiday photo cards for hospice patients
• help out in a fundraiser for a local charity

4. Keep a Simple Schedule

Parties and gatherings are common during the Christmas season. But most of the time, the endless festivities can wear you out. Instead of enjoying the holidays, you end up getting stressed out.

This is why keeping a simple schedule this Christmas is important. You don’t need to go to all the Christmas parties you’re invited to. As much as possible, leave time for yourself to relax and recharge before going to another event. Consider this time out as a Christmas gift for yourself. This will help you to better enjoy the celebration and be more “present”.

5. Choose Simple Gifts

What gifts did you receive last Christmas? Are you still using it? Much more importantly, do you still have it? Chances are, those gifts are now either lost or misplaced. This is what consumerism has done to the beautiful Christmas tradition of gift-giving. We often receive things that we don’t need nor want. Most of the time, they just end up cluttering our closets.

When it comes to buying gifts, one thing is true: it’s the thought that counts. You don’t need to give out something fancy or super expensive to express your love for the people around you. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a handwritten Christmas card or a handmade sweater. What’s important is the sincerity that comes with that gift.

If you’re good at crafts, you can use it to create personalized gifts. If baking is your strong suit, Christmas cookies will always be appreciated. These gifts might not be worth thousands of dollars but you poured your talents and effort into it. And that’s what makes them extra special.

Published Sept 26, 2021

Have you ever had that moment when the law tells you it’s right but your conscience says otherwise? This is what many would call an ethical dilemma. How you respond during these situations says a lot about the kind of person you are.

From a young age, we are taught about what is right and what is wrong. But the line separating these two isn’t always clear-cut. There will always be grey areas and this is where ethics come in.

By definition, ethics are moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conduct of an activity. But in reality, the meaning of ethics is hard to pin down and most people don’t agree on a single definition.

That’s because, unlike the law, ethics are subjective. Each of us has our own set of moral principles shaped by our culture, beliefs, and experiences. Since it largely depends on our individual convictions, we become our own judge and we only have our guilt as punishment.

In an increasingly politically correct world, the definition of right and wrong has never been more confusing. What is legally right may not always be viewed as such by society. And what may seem right to the rest of society may contradict your personal beliefs and values.

This is why the ultimate challenge for all of us is not whether we are doing the right thing. Rather, it’s about how willing we are to do what we think is right.

To help you find your ethical anchor, we compiled these ethics quotes. These are not meant to tell you what you need to do but rather to give you the courage to do what your conscience tells you to.

1. Calamity is the test of integrity. – Samuel Richardson
2. Whatever is my right as a man is also the right of another; and it becomes my duty to guarantee as well as to possess. – Thomas Paine
3. Our very lives depend on the ethics of strangers, and most of us are always strangers to other people. – Bill Moyers
4. Once a man knows good from evil, nothing on earth can compel him to act against that knowledge. – Socrates
5. Our integrity is never worth so much as when we have parted with our all to keep it. – Ovid Ovid
6. Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace. – Albert Schweitzer
7. It is the mark of the cultured man that he is aware of the fact that equality is an ethical and not a biological principle. – Ashley Montagu
8. A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case, he is justly accountable to them for the injury. – John Stuart Mill
9. Ethics is, in origin, the art of recommending to others the sacrifices required for cooperation with oneself. – Bertrand Russell
10. A quiet conscience makes one strong – Anne Frank
11. I can do no other than be reverent before everything that is called life. I can do no other than to have compassion for all that is called life. That is the beginning and the foundation of all ethics. – Albert Schweitzer
12. You don’t teach morals and ethics and empathy and kindness in the schools. You teach that at home and children learn by example. – Judy Sheindlin
13. We have in fact, two kinds of morality, side by side: one which we preach but do not practice, and another which we practice, but seldom preach. – Bertrand Russell
14. Create all the happiness you are able to create; remove all the misery you are able to remove. Every day will allow you – will invite you to add something to the pleasure of others – or to diminish something of their pains. – Jeremy Bentham
15. There are two types of people in this world, good and bad. The good sleep better, but the bad seem to enjoy the waking hours much more. – Woody Allen
16. Let me give you a definition of ethics: It is good to maintain and further life, it is bad to damage and destroy life. – Albert Schweitzer
17. A starry sky is equally interesting to a scientist, a mystic, an ethics scholar, and a poet. Looking at the stars, each experiences something different, and each sees his own picture. – Alija Izetbegovic
18. Any tool can be used for good or bad. It’s really the ethics of the artist using it. – John Knoll
19. People who try hard to do the right thing always seem mad. – Stephen King
20. Ethics and equity and the principles of justice do not change with the calendar – D.H. Lawrence
21. Without ethics, man has no future. This is to say, mankind without them cannot be itself. Ethics determine choices and actions and suggest difficult priorities. – John Berger
22. About morals, I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after. – Ernest Hemingway
23. The most important ingredient we put into any relationship is not what we say or what we do, but what we are. And if our words and our actions come from superficial human relations techniques (the Personality Ethic) rather than from our own inner core (the Character Ethic), others will sense that duplicity. We simply won’t be able to create and sustain the foundation necessary for effective interdependence. – Stephen Covey
24. An adult is a child who has more ethics and morals. – Shigeru Miyamoto
25. A man does what he must – in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality. – John F. Kennedy
26. A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business. – Henry Ford
27. Ethics is nothing else than reverence for life. – Albert Schweitzer
28. Live one day at a time emphasizing ethics rather than rules – Wayne Dyer
29. In just about every area of society, there’s nothing more important than ethics. – Henry Paulson
30. Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all. – Aristotle
31. There is no strength to be gained from hurting one another, only weakness. – Ursula K. Le Guin
32. Acting responsibly is not a matter of strengthening our reason but of deepening our feelings for the welfare of others. – Jostein Gaarder
33. You don’t have to choose between being scientific and being compassionate. – Robert M. Sapolsky
34. The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education that stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals. – Martin Luther King, Jr.
35. Wrong is wrong, even if everyone is doing it. Right is right even if no one is doing it. – William Penn
36. The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life. – Albert Einstein
37. Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. – Potter Stewart
38. Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life. So aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something. – Henry David Thoreau
39. People who truly understand what is meant by self-reliance know they must live their lives by ethics rather than rules. – Wayne Dyer
40. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life. – Albert Einstein
41. In law, a man is guilty if he violates the rights of others. In ethics, he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so. – Immanuel Kant
42. A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world. – Albert Camus
43. Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. – Thomas Edison
44. In civilized life, law floats in a sea of ethics – Earl Warren
45. I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self. – Aristotle
46. Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity. – W. Clement Stone
47. We have two kinds of morality side by side: one which we preach but do not practice, and the other which we practice but seldom preach. – Bertrand Russel
48. The first step in the evolution of ethics is a sense of solidarity with other human beings. – Albert Schweitzer
49. Action indeed is the sole medium of expression for ethics. – Jane Addams
50. It is curious – curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare. – Mark Twain
51. For this equilibrium now in sight, let us trust that mankind, as it has occurred in the greatest periods of its past, will find for itself a new code of ethics, common to all, made of tolerance, of courage, and of faith in the Spirit of men. – Albert Claude
52. At times it appears easy to sermonize on morality and ethics. But morality and ethics appear good only when applied to others, never on oneself. – Jaggi Vasudev
53. In ethics, there is humility; moralists are usually righteous. – John Berger
54. It’s the love of right lures men to wrong. – Kim Stanley Robinson
55. Even the most rational approach to ethics is defenseless if there isn’t the will to do what is right. – Alexander Solzhenitsyn
56. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
57. Ethics is the activity of man directed to secure the inner perfection of his own personality. – Albert Schweitzer 
58. You cannot receive a shock unless you have an electric affinity for that which shocks you. – Henry David Thoreau
59. I do not believe in immortality of the individual, and I consider ethics to be an exclusively human concern with no superhuman authority behind it. – Albert Einstein
60. Universal ethics is a corollary of universal kinship. Moral obligation is as boundless as feeling. – J. Howard Moore
61. So I think ethics is the broader thing that’s less focused on prohibitions and is more perhaps looking at principles and questions and ideas about how to live your life. – Peter Singer
62. In life, there are always two choices; the selfish and the selfless. – Wayne Gerard Trotman
63. The power to make a choice goes with the duty of accepting the responsibility of the outcome of the choice. – Michael Eneyo
64. Ethics is not a matter of surveying scripture to determine what constitutes virtuous behavior. A person with high moral character must think about life and act in accordance with their conscientious conclusion. – Kilroy J. Oldster

Your ethical muscle grows stronger every time you choose right over wrong. – Price Pritchett

Published July 25, 2021

Since the dawn of civilization, man has been making use of God’s greatest gift: our natural resources. Unfortunately, we haven’t been good stewards. The many environmental disasters we currently face attests to that.

Fret not. All is not yet lost. Many advocacy groups around the world are standing up to defend Mother Nature. And we can all be part of the fight too – in our own little ways. Making a donation to these environmental charities would be a good start.

But which charities? With hundreds of environmental organizations popping up around the country, choosing one can be a headache. Of course, we want to ensure that our donations are used as we intended them to be. Thus, weeding out the environmental charities that really do their job from those that are just in it for the money is extremely important.

To help you figure out which charities to support, we scoured various charity watch organization websites. Here are the best environmental charities in the US:

Natural Resources Defense Council

Advocacy:

Secure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.

The NRDC draws on the expertise of about 700 lawyers, scientists, and policy advocates to achieve their advocacy. Because of its great contribution to passing revolutionary environmental policies, it’s been rated 4/4 by Charity Navigator.

Some of the policies it helped enact were the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. It’s also very heavily involved in the fight against climate change and air pollution as well as the struggle for clean energy, water conservation, and marine life protection.

The Sierra Club Foundation

Advocacy:

Promote climate solutions, conservation, and movement building through a powerful combination of strategic philanthropy and grassroots advocacy.

Another top-rated environmental charity is the Sierra Club Foundation. It was founded in 1960 and relies on both individual and institutional donors to fund its campaigns.

The organization is also making strides in environmental justice and policies and grassroots networking. Its collaborations with various nonprofit associations and community groups have also helped further its cause.

Friends of the Earth

Advocacy:

Challenge the current model of economic and corporate globalization, and promote solutions that will help to create environmentally sustainable and socially just societies.

This international organization operates in 74 countries including the US. Its advocacy covers a wide array of environmental and social causes. Among the issues the charity is working on involves:

• Defending human rights
• Promoting biodiversity
• Food sovereignty
• School of sustainability
• Climate justice
• Gender justice
• Economic justice

Friends of the Earth International works largely in grassroots communities. It has over 2 million members around the world.

350.org

Advocacy:

End the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all.

Founded in 2008, this charity aims to build a global climate movement. And in a span of 10 years, 350.org has linked activists and organizations around the world with its strategic campaigns such as:

• International Day of Climate Action (2009)
• Global Work Party (2010)
• Keystone XL (2011)

Its main focus is to promote the use of clean and sustainable energy by doing away with fossil fuels. In 2015, the organization was instrumental in bringing about the Paris Climate Agreement.

Published June 27, 2021

Do you sometimes ask yourself what will happen to your life once you retire? I think most of us dream of having a wealthy, healthy, and, most importantly, a happy retirement. And with the average life expectancy getting shorter, we want it to happen sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, it’s not a secret that many end up with little to no retirement savings and often struggle with a lack of purpose once they retire. While others don’t get to retire at all. But, it doesn’t have to be this way.

With the right retirement planning, your retirement life can be pleasant as you want it to be. 

Here are some excellent tips to follow for a happy retirement and good living in your later years:

1. Find Your Purpose

Retirement means you now have lots of time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. But if your life revolved around your career, you may find it hard to move forward and find a new purpose.

Sooner or later, this lack of purpose can lead to boredom and even depression.

So, ask yourself, what do you want to do in life once you stop working? Do you want to travel? Do you want to start a business? How about some charity work?

Just because you’re retired doesn’t mean you need to stop living. In fact, this could be your chance to finally be truly alive. You can go back to doing the hobbies you enjoyed while you were young or learn a new skill. The choices are endless.

2. Straighten Out Your Finances

Living a good life after your retirement won’t be possible if you’re broke and drowning in debt. This is why the best piece of retirement advice you should keep in mind is to always be prepared for rainy days.

If you’re planning to retire sooner, don’t forget to set your finances in order. Make sure that your retirement funds will last longer and will be enough for your expenses. Don’t forget to take into account the increased health care cost and payment for term care which typically comes with old age.

First off, set your financial goals. Then check out what benefits you can claim – social security benefits, retirement plans, pensions, and any other investments. Use retirement calculators to determine how much you should set aside per month or year to save up that much until your retirement. If you’re still lost on where to start, here’s a good piece from New York Times about how to catch up on your retirement savings.

3. Budget. Budget. And Budget

It’s not unheard of for some people to go on a spending spree right after they got their retirement money. Then they wake up one day and find out that everything’s gone – and that’s when regret sinks in.

Don’t get me wrong. How you spend your hard-earned money is entirely up to you. But you should still exercise some caution when splurging on things.

Even if you have huge retirement savings, if you don’t spend it wisely, you might end up with no money at all. Don’t stop budgeting, and remember that there won’t be a monthly

Published April 12th, 2021

In our darkest moments, reading or hearing an encouraging word or two can mean a lot. Especially if those words reflect the pain, anguish, and desperation within us. That is why we’ve compiled this list of poems about surviving.

Penned by famous authors, these poems give voice to the sufferings we choose to endure in silence. It puts into words what we ourselves wouldn’t dare to express. But at the same time, it also speaks of the strength and resilience of the human spirit. It narrates courage in times of uncertainty, hope in desperation, and might in weakness. Their words not only provide motivation but also relief and comfort to a weary soul.

Here are some of the best poems about surviving and resilience to help get you through these tough times.

1. Good Timber

by: Douglas Malloch

The tree that never had to fight

For sun and sky and air and light,

But stood out in the open plain

And always got its share of rain,

Never became a forest king

But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil

To gain and farm his patch of soil,

Who never had to win his share

Of sun and sky and light and air,

Never became a manly man

But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease,

The stronger wind, the stronger trees,

The further sky, the greater length,

The more the storm, the more the strength.

By sun and cold, by rain and snow,

In trees and men, good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth

We find the patriarchs of both.

And they hold counsel with the stars

Whose broken branches show the scars

Of many winds and much of strife.

This is the common law of life.

2. Still Here

by: Langston Hughes

I been scarred and battered.

My hopes the wind done scattered.

Snow has friz me,

Sun has baked me,

Looks like between ’em they done

Tried to make me

Stop laughin’, stop lovin’, stop livin’–

But I don’t care!

I’m still here!

3. Hope Is The Thing With Feathers

by: Emily Dickinson

‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers –

That perches in the soul –

And sings the tune without the words –

And never stops – at all –

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –

And sore must be the storm –

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm –

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –

And on the strangest Sea –

Yet – never – in Extremity,

It asked a crumb – of me.

4. Life is Fine

by: Langston Hughes

I went down to the river,

I set down on the bank.

I tried to think but couldn’t,

So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!

I came up twice and cried!

If that water hadn’t a-been so cold

I might’ve sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator

Sixteen floors above the ground.

I thought about my baby

And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!

I stood there and I cried!

If it hadn’t a-been so high

I might’ve jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I’m still here livin’,

I guess I will live on.

I could’ve died for love—

But for livin’ I was born

Though you may hear me holler,

And you may see me cry—

I’ll be dogged, sweet baby,

If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!

5. If

by: Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

Published Dec 7, 2020

According to the National Sleep Foundation, you should replace your pillows every two years. This might seem like an awful waste of money especially if your pillows aren’t that lumpy yet. But remember that your pillow absorbs dirt, oil, saliva, and whatnots. Over time, it accumulates and becomes the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and viruses.

But before you drag your old pillows to the recycling bin, take a good look at it first. Is it still usable? If you’ve only been using it for a few years, chances are it still is. With a good bit of cleaning, it might even look presentable. So why throw it away when you can still repurpose it?

If you’re struggling for ideas on what to do with old pillows, here are some creative suggestions:

1. Pet Bed

You may not be able to use your old pillow anymore but it doesn’t mean your pet can’t. Let your pet bask on the windowsill while comfortably snuggled in those cozy pillows. You can also put them in an old blanket to make it warmer in the winter.

2. Bean Bags

Pillow filling, particularly microbeads, makes great beanbag stuffings. You can also fashion old pillowcases into a beanbag case and stuff it with old pillow fillings.

3. Rags

If your pillow fillings are beyond salvage, just take them out and turn the cases into rags. You can also cut them into strips and weave them into rag rugs. See the step-by-step tutorial here.

4. Winter Puffer Jackets

There are just a lot of things you can do with old pillows. And if you’re creative enough, you can even turn them into puffer jackets. Polyfill and downs make very puffy jackets. If you have a wool-filled pillow, then all the better as it provides more insulation. You’ll not only give life to your old pillows, but you’ll also save up several bucks on a new winter jacket.

5. Weighted Blanket

Weighted blankets are good for people with sleep disorders. But they can be really pricey. Worry not. If you have an old poly-fil pillow, you can easily make your own weighted blanket at a fraction of the cost. Check out this tutorial to learn how.

6. Oven Mitts

If your old pillow is too small for a weighted blanket or a puffer jacket, you can always turn them into oven mitts. Most pillow fillings have excellent thermal insulation so they’ll make excellent batting for oven mitts. Learn how you can make DIY oven mitts here.

Published Dec 7, 2020

When we were young, birthdays meant fun and excitement. You get gifts, play with your friends, and eat delicious foods. But as we grow older, birthdays have lost their spark.

Gone are the days when we can’t wait for our birthday to arrive. Now, some of us can’t wait for the day to pass. The usual mindless partying and social gatherings have become too “shallow”. As adults, we realize that all we ever really want is to be happy during this special day. Not the kind of giddy happiness you feel when you receive gifts but the peaceful contentment brought about by simple things.

This is why birthday celebrations need not be extravagant or glamorous to be considered the “best birthday ever”. You don’t even have to celebrate it with a large crowd (half of which you’ve never seen before) to make it fun. Instead, focus on making this day about you. It’s your day after all. It only comes once a year so make it meaningful and spend it with a purpose.

Here are some things to do on your birthday to make it much more meaningful and special:

1. Allot some “me time’

With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, having a few hours to yourself is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.

2. Step outside your comfort zone

What is it that you’ve always wanted to do but never had the courage to? Now is your chance. Do something today that you’ve never done or you’ll live out the rest of your days with a lot of “what ifs”.

3. Eat a food you’ve never tried

Forget about your calorie count even just for a day. This only happens once a year so eat to your heart’s content.

4. Donate to causes you support

Instead of just posting about it on social media, try making a donation to the causes you care about.

5. Create your very own masterpiece

Unleash your creative side. Channel all your frustrations, stress, and disappointments of the previous year by creating your very own masterpiece.

6. Volunteer at your local soup kitchen

Soup kitchens are some of the few places where the homeless and destitute can get a decent meal free from judgment. They usually rely on donations and volunteers who are willing to devote their time to a noble cause.

7. Distribute gift bags to the homeless

Making other people happy makes us happy too. So instead of holding a fancy banquet, why not make gift bags for the homeless? You can refer to our guide on making DIY homeless survival kits if you’ve never done it before.

8. Get a relaxing blind massage

Getting a blind massage is a win-win situation. You get to help disabled people who are trying to make an honest living while getting a relaxing massage for yourself.

9. Volunteer in a shelter

There are a lot of homeless shelters around the US and most of them are in need of an extra pair of hands. So you won’t have a hard time finding one to volunteer in.

10. Buy yourself a gift

Treat yourself to a day spa, buy those shoes you’ve always wanted, get that watch you’ve been eyeing the whole year. You don’t have to wait for someone to give you a gift on your birthday. Go ahead and buy yourself that gift.

11. See friends you’ve never seen for a long time

As we grow old, it’s inevitable to lose contact with some people. This is your opportunity to reconnect with those people you’ve never heard from for a long time.

12. Forgive and ask for forgiveness

Forgiving those who’ve wronged you and asking for forgiveness from the people you’ve hurt is one way of getting that lump off your chest. It also allows you to start afresh.

13. Start a new hobby

Enroll in a karate class, yoga, painting, or any new hobby. Birthdays are an opportunity to turn a new leaf. Starting a new hobby is a step in the right direction.

14. Donate old stuff

Instead of doing a garage sale, you can donate your old stuff to charities. Salvation Army and Goodwill have thousands of drop-off locations across the country. You can also donate it to local charities like soup kitchens and shelters.

Published Nov 15, 2021

The dictionary defines charity in two ways: the voluntary giving of help to those in need and kindness and tolerance in judging others. Unfortunately, this is not how many people understand this word.

A common misconception is that charity is only for the rich and you can’t be charitable if you’re barely getting by. But as has been proven by the likes of Mother Teresa, charity is not measured by how much you give. Rather, it is the act of giving and the intent of the giver that truly matters.

Besides, from the definition above, charity is not just about giving. It is also in how we treat others. Charity is in how you make a stranger feel welcome, in how you make others feel good about themselves, in how you help a disabled man cross the street – it’s literally in everything we do.

So wherever you are and whatever you do, practice charity as much as you can. And don’t forget to inspire others to do the same too. If you don’t know where to start, using these charity quotes in your fundraising activities is a great way to get it going:

1. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. – Kahlil Gibran
2. Bounty always receives part of its value from the manner in which it is bestowed. – Samuel Johnson
3. In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity. – Richard Baxter
4. No one has ever become poor by giving. – Anne Frank
5. Charity brings to life again those who are spiritually dead. – St. Thomas Aquinas
6. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else. – Confucius
7. As the purse is emptied, the heart is filled. – Victor Hugo
8. Charity begins at home, but should not end there. – Scottish Proverb
9. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. – Aesop
10. Be charitable to everyone but yourself. – Joseph Joubert
11. We only have what we give. – Isabel Allende
12. Charity is to will and do what is just and right in every transaction. – Emmanuel Swedenborg
13. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. – Winston Churchill
14. The charity that is a trifle to us can be precious to others. – Homer
15. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. – Sam Levenson
16. Our true acquisitions lie only in our charities, we get only as we give. – William Simms
17. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. – St. Paul
18. Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. – Buddha
19. Charity makes no decrease in property – Arabian Proverb
20. It is more blessed to give than to receive. – Acts 20:35
21. Flatter not thyself in thy faith in God if thou hast not charity for thy neighbor. – Francis Quarles
22. You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. – John Bunyan
23. If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one. – Mother Teresa
24. The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
25. Doing nothing for others is the undoing of ourselves. – Horace Mann
26. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. – Mahatma Gandhi
27. It’s easier to take than to give. It’s nobler to give than to take. The thrill of taking lasts a day. The thrill of giving lasts a lifetime. – Joan Marques
28. Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. – Ian Maclaren
29. Every charitable act is a stepping stone towards heaven. – Henry Ward Beecher
30. No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. – Charles Dickens
31. Our mind is enriched by what we receive, our heart by what we give. – Victor Hugo
32. Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege. – John D. Rockefeller Jr.
33. Charity never humiliated him who profited from it, nor ever bound him by the chains of gratitude, since it was not to him but to God that the gift was made. – Antoine de Saint – Exupery
34. Every sunrise is an invitation for us to arise and brighten someone’s day. – Richelle E. Goodrich
35. Wealth isn’t always measured in dollar signs. We each have time, talent, and creativity, all of which can be powerful forces for positive change. Share your blessings in whatever form they come and to whatever level you have been blessed. – Jon M. Huntsman
36. Charity sees the need, not the cause. – German Proverb
37. I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver. – Maya Angelou
38. Charity is kind. It is not easily provoked. It thinks no evil, it believes all things, hopes all things. – Cotton Mather
39. When our cup runs over, we let others drink the drops that fall, but not a drop from within the rim, and call it charity; when the crumbs are swept from our table, we think it generous to let the dogs eat them; as if that were charity which permits others to have what we cannot keep. – Henry Ward Beecher
40. The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own. – Lao Tzu
41. Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. – St. Francis of Assisi
42. The charitable give out at the door, and God puts in at the window. – John Ray
43. Help others without any reason and give without the expectation of receiving anything in return. – Roy T. Bennett
44. It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving. – Mother Teresa
45. Giving is not just about making a donation. It is about making a difference. – Kathy Calvin
46. Generosity consists not the sum given but the manner in which it is bestowed – Mahatma Gandhi

A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog when you are just as hungry as the dog – Jack London