Many people would love to make a positive impact on peoples’ lives. The trouble is, most people don’t know how to do this. After all, you’ll have to do something big to make an impact, right? Buy them a car, pay their rent for six months, and other things at that level?
That isn’t the case. In contrast, there are countless ways that you can do so. A large portion of these doesn’t need much time and effort. Even better, they shouldn’t cost you too much money, if any.
These can be once-offs, or they can be something you do regularly. While donating your time and volunteering at charities you support will be the most obvious way you can make a direct impact on peoples’ lives. There are a few others that you mightn’t have thought about.
How To Make An Impact On People’s Lives
Sponsor & Give To Charity
Donating to charity is the most obvious way of having an impact on peoples’ lives. Naturally, there are quite a few to choose from, with these organizations operating in multiple areas. Choosing one that meets your values and expectations could take a while, however.
When you are, it’s worth researching the organizations beforehand. Some will spend more on administrative costs than others, with a certain amount benefitting people much more. If you want your donation to have a larger impact on lives, then you should make sure the charity spends more on helping people than administration.
Sponsoring a child or animal could also be an option for you. In these cases, you’ll donate on a monthly basis, with these donations typically being used to feed, home, and educate the recipient. These can often be the more affordable options to choose, although they will have more of a direct impact.
You should learn more about these types of charities before donating so that you can pick the one that matches your values the most.
Spend Quality Time With Family
If you want to make a positive impact on peoples’ lives, then you should start at home. Spending enough time with your loved ones will positively impact their lives much more than you’d think. By doing so, you’ll help them make memories that’ll last a lifetime. You’ll be doing the same for yourself.
That doesn’t just mean spending time at home. Plan activities with them, go on holidays, play games with them. Whatever interests you and your loved ones have, engage with them. There are quite a few things that you can do to spend quality time with your family. These include:
- Indoor camping in your living room.
- Going for a picnic.
- Spending a day at the beach.
- Having a movie night.
- Go on a road trip.
Planning out regular activities can be more than enough to have a positive impact on your family’s lives. You should leave a little room for spontaneity, however, as this will add a little more fun to the events.
Give Someone A Surprise
Everyone likes a nice surprise every once in a while. Why not give your loved ones one? These don’t have to be too big. Something small that you think they’d like could be more than enough to make them feel good. It’ll also help improve your relationship with them and bring you closer.
The main reason this can have a positive impact on peoples’ lives is because of how unexpected it can be. People get caught up in their daily lives, which can often be relatively mundane. An unexpected surprise breaks that routine and can make someone happier.
You shouldn’t have to spend too much money on this. Instead, there are a few things that you can do to surprise them. Some of the more notable are:
- Buy them a coffee.
- Get them a book.
- Take them out for dinner.
- Invite them out to see a movie.
What kind of surprise you get a friend or loved one can depend on your relationship with them. Cater toward their specific interests, which will help you figure out what to get. In some cases, you might spot something that instantly reminds you of them.
Picking that up and getting it for them is easy, and it’ll have more of an impact than you’d expect.
Smile & Say ‘Hi’
One thing that you mightn’t realize will have an impact on peoples’ lives is smiling more. People feel more positive when they’re treated positively. A small is the simplest and most natural way of doing so. Adding in a ‘hello’ while you’re passing them on the street or in your office building can add to the effect.
It’s been shown that smiling releases serotonin in the body. That’ll give you a positive boost by making one. It can also cause the person you smile at to smile, which will cause the same effect for them. As a result, you can positively impact their day by simply smiling at them.
In this day and age, many people are glued to their phones, especially when out and about. That could mean that they mightn’t see a smile for much of the day. Getting one or two from a stranger could give them a small pick-me-up and boost their mood.
The approach could be one that keeps on giving, as this positivity can be relatively contagious. Your smile and ‘hello’ could cause a domino effect that improves several peoples’ moods for the day.
Wrapping Up
If you want to make a positive impact on peoples’ lives, but don’t have the time to volunteer at a charity, there are countless things you can do. The above are some of the simplest and can be done by almost anybody.
As simple as they might seem, they can have more of an impact than you might think. Going out of your way to do two or three of them every day can be more positive than you’d think. That’s not just on the people you’re paying it forward to.
Instead, you can feel much better knowing that you’re positively influencing people. That could be enough of a reason alone to start doing some of the above. You never know, that positivity could come right back to you.
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