5 Little Things - To Make a Difference for Human Rights

Voice your concern over Chinese Human Rights Violations and Send a letter to Yahoo!

Shi Tao, a Chinese journalist, is serving a ten-year prison sentence for sending an email to the U.S. Yahoo! helped put him there. We must tell US Corporations that we will not tolerate actions abroad that we would not tolerate at home.

Tell Secretary of State Rice that the violence must stop in Darfur.

The U.S Administration can influence European and other donor countries to provide much needed equipment, and it can offer to provide funds for the helicopters itself. The U.S Administration can influence mutual allies to press the Government of Sudan to quit stalling and facilitate the deployment of UNAMID.

Support the survivors of Hurricane Katrina by asking the Senate to support Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act (S. 1668).

Many residents of the Gulf coast region were evacuated because of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Nearly three years later, why are survivors who want to return still stranded and displaced?

Sign the international pledge on Internet freedom and publish irrepressible fragments of censored material on your own blog or website.

It is imperative that we stop censorship of the Internet.

Send an urgent appeal to defend activists in Mexico!

In Mexico, environmental activists working to protect their lands and livelihoods from encroaching economic interests have faced grave danger due to brutal efforts to silence their protests, including death threats to themselves and their families, violent attacks and unjust imprisonment.

We can all make a difference. Take 15 minutes to do all of these 5 Little Things right now.

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5 Little Things - To Help The Environment

Today is Earth Day! It seemed only fitting that today’s 5 Little Things should be ways to help the environment. Although it would be great if everyone could drive hybrid cars, have solar powered houses loaded with energy efficient appliances - if you are like me, you don’t have the resources to just go out and get all those things. But every little bit helps - and in some cases in very big ways. Try these 5 Little Things to do your part!

Turn off the water when brushing your teeth. A conventional bathroom faucet with an aerator uses between 3 and 6 gallons of water per minute. Shutting the tap off while brushing your teeth or shaving saves as much at 3,000 gallons of water per person per year.

Turn off ceiling fans when you leave the room. As a fan generates air movement downward across the skin, evaporation of body moisture takes place, causing a cooling effect. So, unless you are in the room to feel the air movement, that benefit is lost. According to Florida Power & Light, simple things like turning off ceiling fans when leaving a room can save $7.00 per month in energy costs. (multiply that by 340 million Americans - and you have some significant savings!)

Buy a water filter instead of bottled water. The average American drinks 22.6 gallons of bottled water a year. Making all that plastic releases over four pounds of carbon dioxide per person and consumes a surprising amount of petroleum (.005 barrels, or nearly a quart of oil per person).

Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

Wash your clothes in cold water. About 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water. There are two ways to reduce the amount of energy used for washing clothes—use less water and use cooler water. Unless you’re dealing with oily stains, the warm or cold water setting on your machine will generally do a good job of cleaning your clothes. Switching your temperature setting from hot to warm can cut a load’s energy use in half.

Recommended Viewing:

If you are one of those last people who really don’t think there is much to global warming or that you just don’t see why you should care, then I strongly suggest that you see the following two videos:

National Geographic: Six Degrees Could Change the World

A Global Warning? (History Channel)

They have been running on the History Channel and on National Geographic - or you can purchase them from Amazon.

Join the movement and take the 5 Little Things Challenge!

And make sure you don’t miss any updates on The 5 Little Things Challenge by subscribing to Brucisms now!

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5 Little Things (that make a BIG difference)

This article is not about making you more money, or making you more productive. In fact, it isn’t about changing what you want, what you have, or what you can achieve at all.

It’s more important than that.

It’s about changing who you are.

I know, that’s a big statement. But stay with me, keep reading…

The Star Thrower (by Loren Eiseley)

One day, a man was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a young person reaching down to the sand, picking up something and very gently throwing it back into the sea. As he got closer, he called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?”

The young person paused, looked up and replied, “Throwing starfish into the sea.”

“Why are you throwing starfish into the sea?” he asked.

“The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in they’ll die.”

“But, don’t you realize that there are miles of beach here and starfish all along it. You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young person listened politely. Then knelt down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said, “Made a difference to this one.”

5 Little Things

Write Down Your Intentions - Take out a blank piece of paper. Think of a change you’d like to happen in your life - it can be something positive that you’d like to enter your life, or maybe something that has been troubling you. Now write it down. Visualize what your life will be like once this change has happened. How will you feel? How will others feel about you? What will be different. Burn that image in your mind. Got it? Now fold the paper in half, and then fold it in half again. Take a book off your bookshelf and tuck the paper inside. But the book back on the shelf. Now, let it go - and let life take care of the details for you.

Commit a Random Act of Kindness - I like to call this a “drive-thru drive-by act of kindness” The next time you are at a toll booth, or at the Starbuck’s drive-thru, or a fast food drive-thru - pay for the car behind you. Be creative with this one - the only rule is that the gift has to be anonymous, and it has to be for a complete stranger.

Write a Poem - You heard me. Write a poem for somebody you love. I don’t care if it’s corny. If it’s long, short, good, bad. Doesn’t matter. Remember when you were 5 and in Kindergarten? You cut out that big red heart in construction paper and wrote that poem for your mom with a big fat crayon for Valentine’s Day. “Rozes are red, violits ar blue…” Remember the look in your mom’s eyes when you gave it to her, how they twinkled, and maybe teared up a little bit. How she gave you that big hug, and then she took the magnet and put it on the refrigerator and it stayed there until Mother’s Day? Remember how great you felt? Don’t you want to feel like that again?

Take a Walk - I’m not talking about exercise. I mean just a walk. But don’t walk with just your feet. Walk with you eyes, your ears, your nose. Is it cold where you are? Can you smell the woodsmoke from someone’s fireplace on the wind? Can you hear birds chirping? Squirrels scurrying around. Look at your feet, are there ants just going about their day as if you didn’t exist? Every time I take a walk I am reminded that our universe is infinitely large and infinitely small - and that in the context of the universe I am absolutely essential and insignificant. (If you don’t get that - stop thinking, and go take another walk!)

Give Somebody Flowers (for no good reason) - Everybody like to receive flowers. Yes - even us guys (but don’t ask me to admit that in public - especially in front of other guys!). So give flowers to your mom, your spouse, teacher, best friend, next door neighbor, whoever - just attach a quick little note that says something like; “You are so special to me. Thank you.”

“But, Bruce - I’m single, not dating, don’t live near family or friends and can’t think of another soul near me to give flowers to!” Well, email me - we have a lot of work to do. But you can still participate. Go to the grocery store. Pick out a small bouquet of flowers - pink or yellow are always good. Now go pay for them. Within 10 minutes of purchase, give them to either an older woman (55 to 100 works best) or a little girl (3 - 7 works best, with her parent’s permission of course). Say something corny like, “These beautiful flowers should belong to a beautiful, young lady”. I guarantee that both you and she will be all smiles and walking on air for hours! Heck - even if you do have somebody to give flowers to, this is fun! Give some to a stranger, anyway!

“OK, I’m still reading - and these things are nice and all, but are they really going to change who I am?”

The 5 Little Things Challenge

Yes. I am convinced that if you incorporate these little things into your life that they will cultivate the qualities of generosity, gratitude, charity, and cheerfulness within you - that these attributes will begin to permeate your life and create opportunities for abundance. So I’m challenging you to do one little thing each week for the next month, then come back here and share your experiences. Every Sunday in April, I will post a “Best of The 5 Little Things Challenge” and share your stories. Do you have a blog of your own? Post your experiences there and trackback or ping me - and I’ll include them in the Sunday posts.

Throw a star! Let’s make a difference - one little thing at a time.

Make sure you don’t miss any updates on The 5 Little Things Challenge by subscribing to Brucisms now!

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• April 14, 2008 -- Best of The 5 Little Things Challenge; 04-13-2008 (0)
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• March 20, 2008 -- Playing A Round; Life Lessons in 18 Holes of Golf (39)
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Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course - the distance between your ears.

Bobby Jones

Playing a Round; Life Lessons in 18 Holes of Golf

It’s 9:00 am on a chilly February morning (ok it’s 58º - but hey! that’s chilly here in Florida), the sun is glistening on the remaining dew as I stand over the 1st tee. I take a deep breath, relax my shoulders, and (tink!)…

After a month of nearly constant rain and general life busy-ness, I had the opportunity to play my first round of golf this year a couple of weeks ago. As I look forward to playing another round next week, it occurs to me that there is a lot I can apply to life from a round of golf. So here are those life lessons in 18 holes:

The Front Nine

Appreciate the Beauty - Golf courses are typically beautiful places. Manicured grass, stately trees, pristine lakes - on the course I always take a moment to appreciate just how beautiful it is. I need to do this in my everyday life as well. We are surrounded by wonders everyday - I need to take a moment to appreciate the beauty in my life.

Be In the Now - I’ve always played “athletic” sports - football, baseball, basketball. Sometimes I could “get in a zone” and couldn’t miss a shot, or could hit anything that came near the plate. But in golf - with that little ball just sitting there, and no stimulation from direct competition - I have a hard time finding that zone. Everyday life can get that way, too. I need to find ways to be in the now - to slip into “the zone”.

Play the Ball As it Lies - In golf, the rules state that you must play the ball as it lies. Life is like that. I need to accept my situation whatever circumstances may bring - and take my best shot to be successful.

Be Honest - In golf, everybody keeps their own score. I read somewhere that Bobby Jones once penalized himself a stroke because his ball “shuttered” as he was taking a practice swing. Both the tournament official, and his opponent, said that they did not see the ball move and that he need not take the stroke. But Bobby said that it had moved, and took the penalty - and lost the tournament by one stroke. What an inspired life I would lead if I could hold myself to the same level of integrity!

Plan ahead - Good golfers don’t just grab a club and hit the ball as hard as they can! They “work the hole backwards” - they decide where they need to put the ball on the green to have a makeable putt, what approach shot will put it there, and where their tee shot needs to land to give them that approach. I need to look at my life like that and ask, “Are the actions I’m taking now putting me in the best position to take my next shot?”

Narrow Your Focus - To make a great shot you have to narrow your focus to the point that you can see the exact point of impact where the clubhead meets the ball. I need to apply that same level of attention and narrowness of focus to my everyday activities.

Let Go - No matter how great or how lousy your last shot was, let it go! A guaranteed recipe for a bad shot is to be dwelling on the last one. I need to let go in everyday life as well. Let go of my insecurities, past grievances, past successes and failures. I need to give myself a clean slate every day so that I have the opportunity to make something spectacular!

Be Aware of Your Emotions (so they don’t get the best of you) - Part of letting go is to approach each shot objectively and with purpose. I need to approach both my failures and successes with same level of objectivity. This isn’t to say that I should become an unemotional machine. It means to be aware of my emotions - the ups and the downs - and to make sure that I take action with intention rather than reacting based on emotion.

Keep Your Eye On the Ball - To make a great golf shot, you have to keep your eye on the ball all the way through the point of impact. It’s the same in life. If I find that I’m not making the progress I want toward my goals, it is usually because I’ve let myself get “busy”, but with activities that don’t really help me achieve my goals.

The Turn

Eat Lunch - I know, it doesn’t sound like great “personal development” advice, but the reality is that I often get busy and forget to eat lunch. I need energy to make it through the “back 9″, and to keep focus through the afternoon everyday. Plus, it really helps my focus to take my mind off my work for a little while before diving into the afternoon.

The Back Nine

Delight in the Success of Your Competitors - Golf is a game where your greatest competition is with yourself. It’s common to congratulate your competitors on a great shot, to celebrate a great putt. How often do we do the same in our professional lives? I should celebrate the success of my competitors. If my competition is succeeding, then the market is good. I don’t need the whole pie - just my little slice!

It’s More Fun When You Play With Someone You Like - One of the things I love about golf is the comradery of spending a few hours with some good friends. No cell phones or email - just small talk and a common passion. I know from experience that it’s a lot more fun to work with people that you like as well. Life is too short to spend it with people you don’t like.

Drink More Water! - No, really! I need to drink more water! (Don’t you?)

Be Prepared for Stormy Weather - Here in Florida it can be a bright beautiful morning on the first tee, but invariably, by the back nine it’s a torrential, tropical downpour. It pays to have a rain shirt and umbrella in your bag! Life has its share of storms, too. Too often I’ve just assumed that it would be blue skies - and then get blind-sided by the inevitable storm. I really need to make sure that I do a little each day to prepare for that next storm that will come along.

Sometimes You Have to Pitch Out of the Rough - Even the best golfers sometimes put it in the trees. In this spot, a good player will pitch out into the fairway to be in the best position for the next shot. We all hit obstacles to our success. Rather than trying to force my way through them, sometimes I need to sidestep, or even take a step back to put myself in the best position to take my next shot.

Don’t Think Too Much - Keep your head down, align your shoulders, follow through the shot - man, a golf swing is a lot to think about! But when you are standing over the ball, you can’t think - just swing. I need to keep from “over thinking” things in my life, too. I need to take the advice that Tom Cruz’s character received in The Last Samurai - “- no mind”!

Mind Your Manners - Golfers will tolerate a lot from a “newbie”. For the most part they’ll tolerate slow play, bad play - but most golfers really don’t appreciate poor etiquette. I should approach everyone in my life that way. The world could use a lot more common courtesy.

The More You Do It, The Better You’ll Be- Like I mentioned before, I’ve always played sports. “Practice makes perfect” is a mantra of every coach I’ve ever met. How much time do I really spend practicing the skills that really matter? How much richer would my life be if I practiced better communication, compassion, and empathy in my personal relationships?

Leave the Course Better then You Found It - It is good golf etiquette to take care of the golf course. If you take a divot - fill it. It’s good etiquette to fill a divot that you are near - even if you didn’t make it! What a legacy we would leave if we practiced this every day! I would be a much better husband, father, friend, and person if I made a concentrated effort to leave everything and everyone better than I found them.

The 19th Hole

Have Fun! - I’m not a good golfer. I’ve been playing for nearly six years, and I’ve never broken 100. But golf isn’t about putting up a number for me, it’s about the challenge, the friendship, and the sportsmanship. I’ve hit a lot of really bad shots, but I can honestly say that I’ve never had a bad round of golf.

… the ball jumped off the face of the club! It was a great shot - 220 yards and straight as an arrow.

Unfortunately, I had lined up my shot to compensate for my usual slice - so (plunk!) it went straight into the lake! Oh well, it’s gonna be a great day for golf!

Oh yeah, one more piece of advice: If you play like I do, take a lot of inexpensive golf balls. (It will save you money - and when they hit the water, they sound just like expensive ones…)

See you on the links!

Bruce

A special thanks to Skellie for providing inspiration in her article Your Trump Card Post Idea.

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