What (if anything) do you do to make a difference?

[HoloDoc]

Some of you might laugh of this, but I am just saying what has helped me. I believe some forms of meditation help the world being a better place. AND meditation can give you insights into how the world is built and what you or someone else can do.

I believe it is in a way, the opposite of numbing oneself with excess entertainment. But it should be meditation on ideas and things and energy and not "emptiness". In my view. There probably is something to say for emptiness, but I haven't figured it out yet.

I've tried to meditate many times. I don't seem to be very good at it; my mind wanders very easil... Oh look, a squirrel.

I wish I was better at it. I need to start trying again.

 

[Ajidica]

And finally, to help give me some ideas of how I can start leading a less selfish life, if you would like I would love to hear some of what you guys do to make that tiny bit of difference we can. I'm trying not to let cynicism turn me into a misanthrope!

I don't do as much as I could. I don't drive very often (over 6 months I put less than 1000 miles on my car, and my car is tiny) and I take the bus to work every day. I try and avoid excess consumption. I also try to donate to UNICEF regularly.

 

[Narz]

I've tried to meditate many times. I don't seem to be very good at it; my mind wanders very easil... Oh look, a squirrel.

I wish I was better at it. I need to start trying again.

95% of my meditation is pure distraction but I've been told that's pretty normal in the beginning.

I think there's something to be said for sitting still for 10 minutes and not acting on one's impulses ("Oh shoot, let me text so & so", "I should Google that", etc.), at least that's what I'm trying to tell myself. I don't particularly feel more peaceful but I've only been semi-consistant for about a month. If anything I'm noticing more what a grumpy, anxious, irritable, critical bastard I am but maybe that's a good thing.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I've done a lot of volunteer work over the years, in various areas. Since I don't get out much anymore, I've taken that online with the local Freecycle group, as a staff member. Freecycle is an online organization that matches people who have stuff to give away with people who want or need that stuff. The objective is to keep as much useful stuff out of the landfill as possible.

Some Freecycle groups allow pet adoptions, as long as it's not for breeding purposes. The last two cats I've had - Chloe and Maddy - were Freecycle adoptions. In Chloe's case, she turned up on a farm north of the city in the winter of 2005. The people there wanted to keep her but she and their dog didn't get along. They didn't want to take her to the SPCA if it wasn't necessary (she was past the cute kitten stage at that point), so they offered her on Freecycle.

Apparently I was the only person who replied to that posting. The adoption went through and Chloe joined the family. Three years later, around the time when my dad was diagnosed with dementia and ended up in the hospital, I'd seen another cat offered on Freecycle - a kitten who had to be re-homed because of allergies.

I thought on the matter for a couple of days, and finally contacted the people. There were no other people interested, and so I agreed to adopt her. It turned out to be an even more special adoption, since the night before she was to come to my place, the father of the family phoned and said, "I just thought of something - maybe you won't want her after all."

I asked why - was she sick? He said no, she wasn't sick, but maybe I wouldn't want the kitten because she was black. It's a sad fact that there are a lot of people who just don't want black cats, for really stupid, superstitious reasons, and shelters have a harder time placing them for adoption. I told him that I love black cats, it would absolutely not be a problem, and he brought her over the next day.

It's 11 years later, and she's snoozing on my bed as I type.

I kept two cats (and any resulting offspring they might have had) from languishing in shelters or being turned out to fend for themselves, and years later I volunteered with Whisker Rescue, an organization that ran a shelter in town for special-needs cats. My job was to help socialize the cats to help make them more used to being handled and played with, so they would be more likely to be adopted. There's a program now where senior cats are matched with senior citizens (who would like to have a cat but don't want one who would probably outlive them; it's very hard on cats who outlive their humans as they may find it difficult to impossible to adapt to anyone else).

As for what else I do that makes a difference... over the years I've noticed that disabled voters get overlooked and actively discriminated against at all levels of government. So I've started speaking out everywhere I can about disabled voters' rights, whether on issues of physical accessibility to polling stations, the right to have help at the polling station, and in-home special ballots for those unable to physically go to a polling station. I also explain how the voting process is normally supposed to work, so people who write into the comment pages on CBC.ca and question whether or not they were treated correctly can either be reassured or advised to report whatever incident they experienced.

 

[JollyRoger]

Meditation gone wrong can lead to another m-word activity, so I've heard.

 

[HoloDoc]

Meditation gone wrong can lead to another m-word activity, so I've heard.

You're supposed to meditate with your pants on, JR.

When I attempt to meditate, I'm far more likely to start thinking about my failed relationships and get angry, than think about anything that gets me aroused.

 

[Hygro]

Meditation gone wrong can lead to another m-word activity, so I've heard.

Is this a lawyer joke?

 

[bernie14]

Mens rea? Moral terpitude?

 

[Live trash can]

Meditation gone wrong can lead to another m-word activity, so I've heard.

what, are we playing Pointless?

I've been studying religions at the university for some months now. What strike me, is that it is not mainly what I read and learn at the university that informs me the most. What is most rewarding is actually getting off and visiting religious groups in their locales, and observe them and their rituals. Only then do I see what they have "accomplished". Things like fidelity, dignity and self respect.

But if i didn't have any theory when I met them the meeting would probably give me less. And I would be less critical.

 

[Hrothbern]

And I'm not asking rhetorically - for someone (of normal means like most of us here) who wants to contribute a little more on this planet than just consuming and being entertained and providing for themselves and their family, what can they actually do? What actually helps? And finally, to help give me some ideas of how I can start leading a less selfish life, if you would like I would love to hear some of what you guys do to make that tiny bit of difference we can. I'm trying not to let cynicism turn me into a misanthrope!

be grateful, kind, sharing

stay close to your own measure sticks

doing things in your circle of influence will empower you and give the strenght to handle your circle of concern
dwelling too much in your circle of concern will eat you up

celebrate your small deeds and achievements and those of the people dear to you

 

[yung.carl.jung]

my girlfriend and I founded a non-profit organization. we cater events with vegan food. almost all of our raw ingredients we get for free, they're "saved" (as in foodsharing, not as in "containering") from local farmers, supermarkets and so on. stuff that would have otherwise been thrown away. our food is handed out against a donation (pay-what-you-want!). with those donations we keep the organization rolling and help refugees all over europe (another ngo does this directly).

we have successfully had like 40+ events catered, made a few thousand euros, cooked for 400+ people at a time and have up to 25 members now. sadly with us moving and all we will probably have to call it quits, no one is ready to take over and commit his/her time to this cause. still, I had a great time

furthermore I try to mostly buy organic and local produce, eat less meat, I don't have a car and use public transport exclusively, I forced my parents to donate to greenpeace for more than a decade (because muh whales!) and kinda support our local greens.

I smile a lot, so much that I get negative/positive comments all the time (some people are truly weirded out when smiled at by a stranger). random people talk to me at every opportunity. I try to be nice to everyone and learn from all my experiences, even with my lil' god complex, overblown self esteem and cancerous narcissism.

 

[Disgustipated]

I set the example. By being an upstanding citizen who doesn't break the laws I hope to set the example for other males of my species.

Hasn't worked so far, but there's always hope.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

...some people are truly weirded out when smiled at by a stranger...

It's not too unusual to get a smile and a "hi" or "Good ______ " (depending on the time of day) here.

 

[yung.carl.jung]

It's not too unusual to get a smile and a "hi" or "Good ______ " (depending on the time of day) here.

I mean it happens here, too, especially with elderly people, but it's not the norm. In general, Germany feels a little cold compared to, say, Italy or Spain.

 

[HoloDoc]

It's not too unusual to get a smile and a "hi" or "Good ______ " (depending on the time of day) here.

I very rarely get that, although I smile all the time. I smile at babies and little kids constantly, and I am always looked at like I'm some sort of creep for doing so. Not my fault they're cute and they give big smiles back.

 

[yung.carl.jung]

if you don't want your kids to be smiled at, then chain them up in your basement. or better yet, don't procreate. we really don't need more of your kind

 

[Ryika]

I usually wish the bus driver a good day when I enter the bus, and even they sometimes look at me as if I broke some etiquette even though it's like... a really normal situation where you'd do that. If I smiled at someone randomly on the street and wished them a good morning, it would probably earn me some baffled reactions.

Would be awesome if that sort of thing were more common though. Genuine positive behavior, with no real need, reason or etiquette dictating it, is nice to see.

 

[yung.carl.jung]

well it does work entirely different in different places. for example, in Italy, you're expected to have a conversation with people when you're standing in line. not doing so could be considered rude. I guess that's the other side of the coin. that is really one of the thing that sucks most about Germany.

 

[HoloDoc]

well it does work entirely different in different places. for example, in Italy, you're expected to have a conversation with people when you're standing in line. not doing so could be considered rude. I guess that's the other side of the coin. that is really one of the thing that sucks most about Germany.

I'm polite to women a lot, and apparently this means I'm flirting with them, according to 90% of my friends. Probably helps explain that situation with teenage girls asking me out I mentioned in the other thread. But I grew it in a country town, and if I wasn't extra polite to a female my mother would have slapped my ear clean off.

 

[yung.carl.jung]

Meditation gone wrong can lead to another m-word activity, so I've heard.

mayonnaisse is not an instrument, roger..

no, mustard isn't either..