Small steps to make the world a better place

When I think of making somewhere a better place, I think of the places around me: my apartment suit, my college campus, my workplace, my community. Instead of thinking about hungers, diseases, natural disasters or abuses taken places on the other side of global, I would be more interested in focusing on things happened around myself. Though it seemed selfish and unconcerned as a global citizen, I think it is easy for people to accept and get actively involved.

One thing I could start doing is to reduce one's negative impact, especially on the environment. For example, I had spoiled food in my refrigerator. I usually never completely finish my meal if I ate outside. Leftovers create food waste and I should avoid over-buying. This should also apply to shopping. I buy new cloths, shoes often and never think of donate or resell items I don't want to use any longer. For me, recycling creates a lot of trouble and does not earn me any value unless the item on resale was originally really expensive. But recycling adds value in terms of improving the environment. People should be encouraged to do so.

Another thing I could think of is volunteer regularly, like once a week at a homeless shelter or children's center. Volunteering enables people get into an unfamiliar community and the process creates a shared experience that helps people with different backgrounds understand each others. It's not just about helping people, but also helps the volunteers opening their minds and learning a different perspective.

Even though I am purposing small steps, it is still a challenge for people to keep doing it if they are alone. I would suggest building a community, local or online, so that people can share their experience with each others and somehow competing on the good things they did.