Project 141 Expanded Application:"Do 1 thing a day, week or month for others (community)"
As I continue to discuss the expanded application of "Project 141" (do 1 thing per day 4-1full year in different areas of your life in order to improve and strengthen those areas), I will focus our attention, today, on the area of "Community".
I want to define or clarify my use of the word "community" as it relates to this approach.
Yes, it can definitely attach itself to the idea of a neighborhood or town but it can also simply refer to others that may have a need. This can be a group of people (such as the community in which you live) or a person or organization that you can do something to contribute to in one way or another.
Keep those two ideas in mind as you read through the rest of this article and push yourself to even consider applying BOTH "definitions" of the word, "community" into your application of "Project 141".
If you have read and/or listened to the previous articles/podcasts about this expanded use of Project 141, you should recognize these two questions used today as being a version of the first two questions that we have asked about our different relationships. Use these and add your own thoughts as a way to "spur you on" to ACTIVELY do SOMETHING in this area.
-------------APPLY THESE QUESTIONS TO TODAY'S TOPIC---------------
WHAT DO I DO TODAY TO IMPROVE THIS COMMUNITY (or specific situation - R.A.K.)?
WHAT DO I DO TODAY TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS COMMUNITY (or specific situation)? ---- am I just going to whine and complain about "something needs to be done" or will I be a part of doing what needs to be done?
NOTE: Of the different areas that I am using in this extended application, THIS is the only one that I would suggest that it is o.k. to do something once a week or even once a month.
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The "Random Act of Kindness" approach to "community": The actual description of this section states: "Do 1 'Random Act of Kindness' per day/week or month (whichever fits you)". I love this idea and, if you've never done anything like this before, SO WILL YOU!
Using the two questions above, approach it as: "WHO do I know that I can do SOMETHING for that would help improve their current situation?" This doesn't have to be something huge. It can a simple phone call and just spending a few minutes chatting with them. This is especially true of elderly people that have been confined at home due to the current pandemic. This could also be a young mother that is overwhelmed trying to juggle taking care of toddlers while, at the same time, trying to work with the "virtual learning" situation going on again, due to the pandemic.
Want to REALLY have some fun with this? Find a way to do something and remain ANONYMOUS. Maybe you've come across a little extra money (even something like $20) that you think would help out with some gas for the car or for a meal. Then find someone else and ask them to deliver it for you or drop it off with a card where you KNOW they will find it. I once had the opportunity to deliver $100 to a lady. It was not my $100 but I got the joy of seeing joyful tears roll down her cheeks when I told her that someone wanted me to come by and give that gift to her.
When you get someone else involved you add another layer to the process. Think about this: the person that you brought the gift to gets blessed, YOU get blessed by doing something like this and the person that you chose to deliver the gift also gets blessed by being a part of the process and seeing that person's response! WOW! And, the person you chose to help you may now want to do that with someone else, themselves, which means that you have added another person to the "Project 141 Expanded/Random Act of Kindness Army"!
The "This is the neighborhood/community in which I live" approach to "community": Have you ever found yourself saying, "Somebody really should do something about that" concerning something that you've come across...particularly in your neighborhood or community?
What are you waiting for or, more precisely, WHO are waiting for to get it done?
Hey friend, what about YOU? What about YOU getting others together to help out? Chances are, if YOU have noticed something that needs to get done, others have as well and it might simply take YOU to serve as the "spark" to bring people together to get something done.
For example, a few years back, I found myself griping and complaining about something that, obviously, bothered me. I had griped and complained about it before (even to management in a certain store) but had never thought about if there was some way that I could do something to make a change.
With those thoughts in mind, I put the graphic you see below together to challenge myself to DO something and to stop just TALKING about it.
If you find yourself doing the same thing then, friend, perhaps it's time for you to change your thinking as well. If you feel the task is "too big" for you alone then talk to others about it, brainstorm together and see what ideas come together that can help with a solution.
But, here's the kicker on ALL applications of this approach to "community"...you have to do more than just "talk about it". Here's another graphic that I put together several years ago about that very thing...
Until next time, remember, YOU'RE HERE FOR A REASON and, whatever you do, always be sure to...
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
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