Just as we all need a "Do Not Go There List" of actions we promise ourselves that we will not do, actions that harm and hurt ourselves and others. We also need a "Good That We Can Do" list--a list of actions that uplift us and others--actions that make our lives and the lives of others better.
On that "Good That We Can Do List" we can start with the following activities:
- Contact someone who may be homebound, alone, struggling with a positive call, card, or note
- Make a meal for someone
- Bake cookies for a friend or neighbor
- Offer to watch a young family's children so they can have a night to themselves
- Engage in an activity that you and a friend enjoy a lot
- Make a special gift for someone
- Help someone in the community who needs help
- Get involved in a positive community effort
As a child, whenever I was fraught with sadness or frustration, my mom would say, "Get out and help someone else." While I think it may have been better to give the frustration and sadness a bit of discussion or attention, I also think the remedy of helping someone else when you are down, is a positive action that takes your mind off yourself and engages you in positivity.
Onward.