Have a need for project management?The Projects program is designed to provide support and oversight to ongoing initiatives by groups on our platform. The Elderly Project is sponsored by Charter Group. If you’re interested in helping with The Elderly project or learning more about Projects, we would like to chat.
When unexpected events bring with them a serious financial impact they are referred to as ‘income shocks’. Over a quarter of the UK adult population (i.e. 14 million people) will have suffered at least one income shock in the last year. Millions of us have neither ‘rainy day’ savings nor access to family and friends who may offer temporary assistance in such a time of crisis.
Join the journey in laying out the foundation. We have limited space available for our UK pilot program. – Drop us a line.
There seems to be a plethora of ways to distract ourselves today. The ability to access virtually anything on a whim gives us a freedom we have never had. But this freedom has made us all the more distracted. Go into most public spaces, or look into the car next to you while driving, and it’s likely you’ll find plenty of people gazing into their phone. I know because I’ve been one of those people. In the book of Proverbs, the writer addresses this tendency. “Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions.”
Time is our most precious resource. Why don’t we treat it that way? Whatever it is that you are doing, do it well. My theater teacher used to say “with gusto!” To live with “gusto” way takes a single-mindedness, a focus on what’s important. What’s most important to you? Does the way you spend your time reflect that same importance?
Common Change Generosity Dinners are created to build a rhythm, a time set aside, for thinking about and valuing those around us. By setting aside an evening to think about the needs of those around us, we are attempting to say to our neighbors, “you are worth my time.”
Who is worth your time today? Don’t wait to make sure they know it.
Each one of us has something to contribute. That’s the truth. But many times we don’t feel that way. We are told we are not enough, that we’re not ready, and that we lack what is needed, by others. And even by ourselves. The lies we are told can hold us back from the gifts we were made to give.
At younger ages it can easier to be faithful to our creativity and our dreaming than to our security. That seems to flip as we get older. But it doesn’t have to. There are steps each of us can take today to use those inspired parts of ourselves and use them. It could be singing, teaching, serving or learning, what is it that you long to contribute? Don’t let fear turn you against your playful heart. Let yourself be inspired again. You might be surprised at the impact it has–on you, and on those around you.
“Don’t ever let fear turn you against your playful heart.”
Much of what happens within Common Change, goes unseen. Acts of tenderness, done in quietness, without the applause of others. This is generosity at its best.
We invite you to experience the power of giving in secret. Take a moment to watch (click image below) how acts of everyday kindness can change one’s day (life).
“Unless a grain of wheat goes into the earth and die, it remains by itself alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” This weekend, many will be thinking about Easter and considering the impact of death and resurrection. But what does it mean to practice resurrection? For some, a relationship have been virtually dead due to lasting bitterness. Perhaps you’ve given up on someone that has let you down again. Or maybe you’ve recently let someone down in a big way, and it looks like there’s no coming back from it. Asking for forgiveness is hard and choosing to can be even more challenging. Continuing without it tends to be worse, and often inducing more pain than we expect. As you go this weekend, consider how the practice of forgiveness can be renewing and restorative, not just for a relationship, but for yourself as well.
Words matter. One kind word can change someone’s entire day. Mother Teresa said, “kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” But in a culture that tells you you’re only valuable if you meet ever-changing standards, we all need to be reminded of our inherent value. We often think of words of encouragement but too often we buy the lie that says that thinking the thought is what matters, resulting in the robbery of words for others. Don’t diminish the power of words. Words written or spoken can change everything. The trouble is, without practice, it can be hard to create the space to think–never mind tell–the people you value how great they are. Who are those people that you love and esteem? Decide today to let them know it.
Every doorway has a story. Each has a distinct character, speaking volumes of the people living behind the door. What could possibly be behind a door is often left to the imagination — an array of secrets, emotions, and mysteries. A home with laughter, heartaches, hopes, banter, and more. This week, for many who will be reflecting on Passover, doors and doorways are an important reminder. What sort of doors do you have? What transpires on the inside of those doors? Is there a spirit of love, hope, and faith on the other side of that threshold? What is posted on our proverbial doors? Do we have a symbolic “welcome mat” at the door, or is it more like a “do not disturb” sign? Do we welcome the opportunity to be hospitable and benevolent to those in need of comfort, friendship or sustenance? Or do we (figuratively speaking) slam those doors in the faces of needy individuals who seek entry to the sincerity of our hearts? Today make a commitment to open a door that can lead to a more generous you.
What keeps us happy as we go through life? If you think it’s fame and money, you’re not alone – but, according to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, you’re mistaken. As the director of a 75-year-old study on adult development, Waldinger has unprecedented access to data on true happiness and satisfaction. Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. It turns out that people who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community, are happier. They’re also physically healthier and they live longer than people who are less well connected. It’s the quality of your close relationships that matters. How might you develop relationships that matter? It’s been said that we make a living by what we get and we make a life by what we give. May we give ourselves to building long and healthy relationships that cultivate a lifetime of happiness.
