Day 4

Today is about thinking of things other than ourselves. Often when we are actively trying to become healthier, and make change in our lives, we become self-obsessed. This self-obsession refocuses us from being productive, well-rounded, and healthy people with an important place in families and societies. When we focus on the health and well-being of others, some of that energy is transferred to ourselves, often in a more powerful and lasting way than if we simply focused on ourselves. Today is a great day to volunteer for an organization that you have never helped before. For those of you who are very accustomed to assisting others, whether it is your family, a client, or if caring is built into your career, the challenge today is to find something you have never done before. Even the most selfless endeavors can start to lose that fresh sense of purpose after even a short time, and feel like merely work or habit. Find something new to do today.
Look for a local organization to volunteer some time. Visit a nursing home. Go to the local animal control or Humane Society and walk a dog or visit with the cats. Here is a wonderful website that can give you ideas for things happening in your area: VolunteerMatch
Try not to think of today's theme as adding another burdensome responsibility to a likely at-capacity to-do list. Today's selfless act can be a fulfilling, life-long association with an organization or a person, or it can be as simple as an act of kindness. Buy someone lunch or flowers for their desk. Go outside of your workplace, to your kid's school, or around your neighborhood, and pick up litter. Give someone a pre-paid gas card. Donate some of your things to a local charitable thrift store. I would urge you, though, in the spirit of Changing Days, to reach out to someone you don't know or have never helped before, or perform a totally new and fresh act. Buying lunch for your best friend or your child might be a very nice thing to do, but it isn't a challenge. Change yourself, challenge yourself, add something fresh and selfless, and you will feel the positive effects immediately.