30 Jun Build happiness by looking for and helping others do good!
by Dr. Happy
Did you know…that despite the incredible focus of most of our news sources there are, in fact, many wonderful people doing many wonderful things, all over the world. And so this week, we want to share with you just a few of the wonderful charities and social entrepreneurs who're out there making the world a better place (and in doing so, we hope this will foster a sense of hope and optimism for you all!).
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John Woods left Microsoft just over 10 years ago to set up Room to Read (HERE). Since then, he and his team have built more than 1600 schools, more than 15,000 libraries and distributed almost 13 million books to children in the developing world. Their motto is "World Change Starts with Educated Children" is inspirational and they really are changing the world!
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At a much smaller level but more locally, Batyr was set up just a few years ago to give voice to the "elephant in the room" (that is, mental health problems in young people). Sebastian Robertson and his team are taking the idea of "young people sharing their stories with young people" to schools and universities with remarkable positive affect. They're significantly increasing awareness of mental health issues and notably, increasing the chances that young people will seek help. CLICK HERE to find out more and support their efforts.
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For 30+ years Peer Support Australia (HERE) has also been tackling the crucial issue of mental health in young people by, in short, teaching them how to help each other build resilience and optimism via small group lessons.
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And 1$day (HERE) is another local success story; set up here in Sydney by Sophie Bartho it's built on the sad reality that "some children in the world have so much, while so many have so little". But the sadness is overcome by the positive practicality of doing something so simple (giving $1) just one day each year. It's this sort of innovative approach that engenders hope and optimism that we all really can make a difference.
Now it's obvious that these 4 examples are, just that, examples. There are so many other great causes and we couldn't possibly list them all here (but see the challenge below). But what we wanted to do was to highlight, as noted earlier, that there are great people doing great things; it's not all doom and gloom as our nightly news might have us think. So focus on these and/or find other great causes you believe in because by doing so you'll be making a difference to the world AND to your world.
This week's challenge…
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Following on from the section above, this week's challenge is…
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to research and find at least one "cause" in which you believe
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take some action to support that cause by donating some money and/or giving of your time
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spread the word so others might also become more aware of this cause and what they can do to help
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. (Margaret Mead)
PS: Once again, we've set up this challenge on InvivoPlay. You can subscribe to receive ALL of Dr. Happy's challenges for free HERE and/or you can accept this week's specific challenge HERE.