MOTIVATION MONDAY: ANYONE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
This article was first published on September 9, 2019 at https://gritdaily.com/motivation-monday-make-a-difference/
Motivation Monday here we come! This is for those of you who slog through your Monday mornings. If you lament the end of the weekend and dread returning to the office, you may need our Motivation Monday quick tips. Grit Daily offers an avenue to connect with others like you. We’re here to help get your work week off to a good start. Pump your fists – it’s time for Monday Motivation!
SMALL CAN BE EFFECTIVE
In this Kardashian-Esque era of “go big or go home,” we’ve been conditioned to think that only efforts on a grand scale make a difference. Not so. Even the smallest efforts from a smile to a small donation to a disaster fund, such as the current effort for the apocalyptic destruction of The Bahamas by Hurricane Dorian, can help. Motivation Monday sends a hug to all those impacted by the storm and a heartfelt shout-out to all those who have purchased generators, sheltered dogs, sent water and done other wonderful things to help Dorian’s victims.
Each effort is additive. Ultimately, with enough “small” efforts, the cumulative effect can be astounding. For example, think back to the days when former President Obama began his campaign for the Whitehouse. Through online donations, where the average contribution was $80, he raised over half a billion dollars in less than a year.
If you think you’re too small to be effective, clearly you’ve never been in bed with a mosquito. ~Anonymous
As a sidebar, from someone who spent over a decade looking down a microscope at mosquitoes, indeed, they are small but highly effective. In fact, they’re the most lethal killers on the planet when you consider the toll of Malara, Zika, Dengue, EEE and other diseases. Each day, mosquitoes kill more people than sharks have killed in over a century!
TIPS TO MAKE SMALL EFFORTS EFFECTIVE
Don’t overthink this! Take a few small steps and you will see the difference that it makes on the person(s) that you’re assisting, and the difference that it makes on you. Motivation Monday is all about making changes within yourself so that you can be the best that you can be.
#1 – break it down
Looking at a problem holistically can be overwhelming. Too many pieces and parts will leave you in a state of analysis paralysis. Think about the end game. That is, if you and everyone else does XYZ, what happens? What’s the result? That’s where you need to focus your energy.
#2 – keep it simple
We all know the K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple, Sweetie!) approach. The trick is applying it. What’s the easiest, most basic, low-impact thing that you can do that will put you one step closer to the end game?
#3 – reach out
We’re more connected in today’s world than we’ve ever been. However, we’re also more disenfranchised, disengaged from our communities and in desperate need of a tribe than we’ve ever been at any time in history. So, don’t be shy. Reach out. Ask for help. Or ask for feedback to see if you’re on the right track. We all get stuck in the weeds and an outsider can offer a fresh perspective which helps you see things that you missed.
WHO MOTIVATES YOU?
Our here today is anything but small but boy-oh-boy, he is effective! Meet Chase Neyland-Square. He is a 13-year old teen from Louisiana. One of his classmates lost everything in a fire, so he thought long and hard about how to help. With some assistance, he created Pam’s Pantry, which is a closet full of donated clothes and other items located behind the school’s stage in the auditorium. Any student in need can discretely go to the pantry, select the items that s/he needs, and walk away. No judgment, no questions asked. And yes, the pantry has had the positive effect that you’d expect.
Motivation Monday isn’t going to let you down. You might be thinking, okay, Chase is 13 and he had some help. And that’s great, but what about 6-year old Jermaine Bell from South Carolina? He had been selling hotdogs and lemonade for months while his parents saved every extra coin and bill that they had for their Disney fund. Jermaine, unprovoked, told his parents that he didn’t feel right about having fun in Disney when so many kids were struggling to survive in The Bahamas. So he asked his parents to donate the trip’s savings to disaster relief. He said there would be other chances to go to Disneyworld one day.
Hey, Disney people, comp this kid and his family a free trip!
And, with that, all of us here at Grit Daily News and Motivation Monday wish you a wonderful week with calm skies and happier days. :)