One of my favorite moments in editing is when I come across something in a book I’m working on that truly inspires me. Coming across these little “somethings” is like getting a gift in the middle of my day. Just such a thing happened when I was working on How Can I Help?: A Book about Caring (cover pictured).

The thing that caught my eye was the activity in the back matter: a list of ways that we can make a difference, for those of us who want to help make the world a better place but aren’t entirely sure how. I don’t want to give away all the tips, but here are just a handful I found especially appealing:

● Smile and say “Hello!”
● Hold the door open for someone.
● Say something nice to someone, like “Great job!”
● Collect food for a food shelf.
● Call your grandparents just to say hi.

As an extra bonus, the back matter also suggests readers visit this amazing website, which gives even more great difference-making ideas: http://www.kindspring.org. (This website quickly became one of my all-time favorites.)

I absolutely love this book’s emphasis on realistic, actionable items that we can do right here, right now. And implementing these ideas just may help build someone up who isn’t feeling great about themselves—making the ideas also potentially a good way to combat bullying (a topic I tackled in Monday’s post).

I hope you found some ideas here that inspired you too. After all, if you ask me, the world can’t have enough “difference-makers”—so please feel free to join the party!