How to Make a Difference in the World From Your House

Do you want to know how to make a difference in the world?

Most people think you have to join the Peace Corps or start a non-profit to leave a lasting legacy and inspire others. But it’s actually the little things everyone can do that have the power to make a difference and change the world — and many can be done right from home.

Here are eight ways you can start making a difference in the world right from your house:

1. Wake up Early

The earlier you wake up, the more time you have to make a difference and see where you can help others. Before the sun’s up, make breakfast for your family, pack the kids’ lunches, sweep the sidewalk for your neighbor or clean the snow off another’s car. You’ll surprise them and get your day off to a great start.

2. Develop a Passion Project and Share It

Having a passion project motivates you to work at it and develop an attitude that inspires others — especially when they see how happy you are. Whether you write, take photos, cook or craft, it can be shared. With technology and social networking, websites, blogs and e-commerce stores are easy to set up to share your passion project with the world.

3. Smile More

An easy and free way to make a difference is to smile more. Smiling boosts your mood by stimulating the muscles in your face, which sends more signals to your brain that you’re happy. Plus, they’re contagious. When you see someone smile, it makes you want to smile back — and you do.

4. Show Kindness to Others

Random acts of kindness are another great way to make a difference because you never know who will be inspired to pass it on. To incorporate more acts of kindness into your life, you can set reminders on your calendar or — better yet — make a kindness calendar you can check off each time you perform a random act of kindness. Once you get in the habit, you’ll see just how many add up.

5. Prioritize Your Relationships

Whether it’s by sending a letter or thank you note, calling someone on the phone or lending an ear to a friend’s troubles, you can make your friends and family feel valued and appreciated.

Doing what you can to show up for the people in your life strengthens your relationships with them and demonstrates how much you care.

6. Volunteer Your Time

Volunteering doesn’t always mean going to the soup kitchen or logging hours at the animal shelter. There are ways to volunteer right from home, such as:

• Connecting with charities to plan events
• Organizing digital fundraisers
• Becoming an online tutor or mentor
• Answering forum and wiki questions

All you really need is a little bit of time to make a huge impact and help someone.

7. Listen

One of the best ways to make a difference every day is to listen. Listen to yourself when you notice what makes you happy. Listen to others when they need someone to talk to. The key, though, when listening to others is to be active — empathize with them and let them know you’re there for them.

It’s possible to do this even if you can’t completely relate to what they’re going through. And no matter what, when you connect with yourself and others, you don’t feel lost or misunderstood.

8. Be Yourself

Acting like someone else or who someone says you should be won’t make you happy. When you be yourself and share who you are through doing what makes you happy, you make a difference in your own life and pass on the confidence to be yourself to others.

Setting the Example

By modeling the changes you want to see in your world, you will simultaneously change others’ worlds, too. Your example could inspire someone else to do the same. Pretty soon, the one difference you made can spread and make all the difference in the world.

Now you know how to make a difference for others. Start today — right from home!