CARPE DIEM
FOUR EASY WAYS TO DO
BETTER – FOR YOURSELF
AND THE WORLD – TODAY
BY PATRICIA KAROUNOSLEARN HOW TO COOK
SE ASONALLY
Out-of-season foods require more
pesticides to grow, contaminating the
soil and water. Build meals around
local, seasonal ingredients.WRITE IN A JOURNAL – REALLY
That diary you kept on and off as a
tortured teenager is valuable self-care.
Journalling helps organise our jumble
of thoughts, improving our memories
and helping us sleep better, boosting
our immune systems and moods.SAY HI TO YOUR NEIGHBOUR
“Making eye contact, smiling, asking
how they’re doing, giving a
compliment – these are ways we can
forge a moment of belonging with
someone else,” says Emily Esfahani
Smith, author of The Power Of
Meaning: Crafting A Life That Matters.DOWNLOAD THE “ACT” APP FOR
KINDNESS REMINDERS
We all need a little help sometimes.
This app sends push notifications with
a positive act every day. Complete the
task and see how many other people
around the world have done the same.HELP WANTED
HOW TO GET BEHIND A CAUSE
BY CARLI WHITWELL- START SMALL
Making a difference isn’t
necessarily a big commitment
for the rest of your life. Giving
back can be as simple as
helping a tired mum carry
in her shopping, grabbing
coffee for a colleague who’s
stressed or ordering Uber Eats
for a mate who’s grieving.
2. DIY ACTIVISM
Gen Z takes things into its
own hands — just look at
Malala Yousafzai fighting for
female education and Emma
González for gun control in
the US. Pick your passion and
go for it – if a solo project is
intimidating, GoFundMe now
has a team fundraising option.
3. APPROACH CHARITY
WORK LIKE YOUR CAREER
Use skills you already have
and find something you enjoy.
Animal lover? Maybe The
Orangutan Project is your
thing. Studies show those who
have self-oriented motives
when they start volunteering
are more likely to stick with it.
4. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Check to see if a charity is
registered with the Australian
Charities and Not-for-Profits
Commission before donating.
You can see annual reports
online – if it’s committed to
transparency, you’ll be able to
see where the money’s going.
If it isn’t, donate elsewhere. E
It was such a small thing, a nano-
kindness, really, but it made all the
difference. I was living in a foreign city
with a newborn, without friends or
family, and I was terribly lonely. This
woman had seen me, if only for
one moment, and taken the time to
make a human connection. It was only
a minute out of her day, but it has stayed
with me for nearly two decades.
We all want to be better in the world
but can easily get hung up on the sheer
magnitude of the challenge — finding
time to regularly volunteer or money to
donate to a cause. But doing good
doesn’t have to be a massive
undertaking; it can be incremental. It
can be as quick as a smile, a word,
a phone call, an email. It can be the
note you send to a friend who is feeling
blue or the pram you help carry down
the train station stairs for a mother
who’s travelling on her own, even
though you’re late for work — especially
if you’re late for work.
I’m reminded of a line from Brian
Goldman’s bestseller The Power Of
Kindness: “The antonym of empathy is
apathy.” That is, the opposite of doing
good isn’t doing harm, it’s doing
nothing. Every tiny act of generosity —
every door held open, every coffee
bought for a stranger — builds a bridge
to another person. It says: “I see you.”
At this point, when we spend most of
our time looking at our phones and not
at people’s faces, that’s invaluable.
So, while I’m not particularly good
at regular volunteering shifts or running
marathons to raise money for charity,
I’m pretty committed to the small things.
I try to send a note of praise every day
to someone whose work I admire.
I have become phone friends with
a lonely (and quite hilarious) 87-year-
old widow who lives far away from her
grown children and grandchildren. On
planes, I find the parents with panicked
eyes and offer to hold their babies.
I remember what it felt like when the
screaming baby was mine. I remember
when a tiny kindness felt monumental,
enough to change the world.“EVERY ACT of
GENEROSITY
BUILDS a
BRIDGE to
ANOTHER
PERSON. It says
‘I SEE YOU’”#ELLEFUTUREISNOW