Ten Ways to Make America a Better Place to Live

Sorted under random acts of activism on January 28, 2009

Helen Keller once said, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.”

These days many people are suffering in America. Skyrocketing job losses (2.6 million in 2008, according to the Labor Department’s Jobs Report), skyrocketing foreclosures (up 81% from 2007 to 2008, per RealtyTrac), skyrocketing healthcare costs (and the many personal bankruptcies that have followed), rising college costs (up 6.4% at four-year public colleges this school year alone, according to the College Board), plummeting 401(K)s, the recession, war, terrorism, education, the environment, inequality…and that only covers a small portion of what’s usually featured on the nightly news! I don’t know about you, but I often find myself slamming down the remote (while considering throwing the television out the window) and thinking, “I know we can do better than this!”

We live in a country that has been a land of opportunity for millions. We live in a country whose doctors have helped the tiniest premature babies live. We live in a country that has put astronauts on the moon. We live in a country that invented Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. We have done better. We can do better. And when I look at my eight-year-old nephew, I know that we must do better. I also know that each of us needs to take an active role in doing better now.

In fact, with all the things that are happening in America now, most of us do feel a longing to help when and where help is needed. Most of us would gladly do whatever we can to make the poverty and war-kind of news stories a thing of the past. And most of us have spent time wondering, “What is it that I can personally do? How can I make a difference?” Here are ten ideas each of us could start with:

1. Decide that inclusion is a much better word to teach our children than exclusion. (As my friend Mary wisely says, “Whatever language we speak to children is the language they learn.”)

2. Spend our money on things that save people’s lives rather than do the opposite. (How many more people need to die from cancer, or get killed in a war, before we decide to re-work our budget?)

3. Start thinking of healthcare as fundamental a right for everyone as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

4. Keep jobs here! (And support companies that are making this choice!)

5. Use our money fairly, wisely, and in ways that will make our children and grandchildren proud. (If we have any doubt at all, we should make a different choice.)

6. Convince our companies that there is such a better use for money than commercials none of us like to watch anyway. (Job creation, disease research, health care, education and the environment…just to name five.)

7. Adopt the mindset “All About We” (rather than “All About Me”) since that really is the only way things will ever truly get better.

8. Know that the three R’s (reduce, reuse, and recycle) are just as important for our children to learn as those other three R’s (reading, writing, and arithmetic).

9. Do one thing…even if it’s just for one person…that can make things better because while doing one thing may seem small, it will feel huge to the person or people who benefit. (Visit a senior center, buy someone you don’t know lunch, give your scarf to a child you see shivering on the street…just to name three.)

10. Start today! As Anne Frank once said, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

My friend Meagan once told me about one of those pivotal, light-bulb-dawning-over-head moments she had as a teenager years ago. She was watching the news with her family and was just plain angry about the one-sad-story-after-another that was being reported. That’s when her dad said to her, “Meagan, there are enough people in this world who complain about things, but not enough people who do anything about them.” I can’t think of a better time than right now for each of us to take Meagan’s father’s advice!

Right now, each of us really can help someone or some cause somewhere. We really can do something to make America a better place to live. If each of us were ready, willing, and able to help in just one of the ways that we want to help…in the way that means the most to us…we would make the kind of beautiful difference and create the kind of beautiful America our children and grandchildren deserve!

What is the “something” that YOU are ready, willing, and able to do? What idea can YOU add to the “Ways to Make America a Better Place to Live” list? And, perhaps most importantly, how will YOU get started today?

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This post was written by Shelly Rachanow

The author of the successful book, If Women Ran the World, Sh*t Would Get Done, Shelly Rachanow is a graduate of The George Washington University and Emory University School of Law. Her latest book, What Would You Do If You Ran the World?: Everyday Ideas From Women Who Want To Make the World A Better Place, is the culmination of brilliant, creative, and totally possible ideas women have shared.



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  • clothesumidirect
    I understand the sentiment behind your list however many people will ignore much of it. I have my own list and it works pretty good.
    1)It's not all about me - You hit that one on the head
    2)Acknowledge and greet at least 2 people I don't know every time I go out - A simple hi is sufficient but coming from a small town I miss the connection of meeting people. Blame that on the news.
    3)Buy American - For the record Toyota is NOT American.

    It's that simple and it has made my life happier.
  • Love the list.
  • I read your 10 ways to make America a better place to live and I was really amazed. It is very helpful. Thanks for the great share.
  • Your ten ways can really become useful if followed.. Thanks for showing your patriotism..
    Thanks again for such nice post...carry on...
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