How can I make a difference? How can I create good karma?

I have some simple suggestions that you can consider that will give you 2 for 1.

When you are out shopping for the holidays or just simple gift buying...

You make a difference

• when you do things that give back to your communities, your planet, your family and friends 
• when you give back to yourself (such as when you create inner peace within yourself).
• when you pay it forward such as creating or donating to scholarship funds, building or funding water wells in places without water, save and endangered species
• etc

You create good Karma

• When you do things that give back and that pay forward.
• When you raise your own life condition through chanting, prayers, meditation, healthy living etc
• When you do acts of kindness
• When you assist others in creating their own inner peace
• etc

1. Shop at locally owned small and medium businesses.

• This helps your community by keeping money local.
• This can also help keep balance in the country so that money is being distributed out to places other than to large organizations and corporations alone.
• This also keeps money working diversely in our communities (keeping businesses in creative form, not cookie cutter)

    2.  Donate money to a non-profit organization you believe in

• This can be done in someones name that has passed over. A way to give a gift to someone in spirit form that affects the lives of others or the planet (depending on the cause of the organization).
• Give to a animal shelter, zoo or wildlife preserve in your pets name.
• This form of giving not only gives to great causes but keeps the landfills free from the gifts that just get tossed after a season or so.

   3.  Buy family member tickets or yearly memberships to places that support a good cause, are educational, supports or promotes a cleaner planet, supports wildlife. Such as:

• The Zoo
• Wildlife preserve
• Science center (ie. Hatfield Science Center in Oregon)
• Youth Science center (ie. OMSI in Oregon, or Gilbert House)
• etc.
• This kind of giving keeps giving all year (if it is a membership), it promotes family time, or couples time, education, the community and often times the environment and or animals
• And again, this saves the planet from extra stuff that just gets thrown out.
• This keeps people active and aware and having fun!

    4.  Buy items made in the US, your local state or city and or make things yourself.

• Again this supports your community and the country. 
• This means you know that it is less likely to be make by child or any kind of slave labor.
• This means you know it is less likely to have harmed animals in production or testing (some labels will say so)
• This gives you peace of mind that the toxicity in the item may be documented with more accuracy and or honesty. 

    5.  Buy or create from recycled items. (be aware of toxic levels)

• This saves the planet from added trash
• This gives you peace of mind that you are saving the planet extra junk
• This can be incredibly creative and fun
• This means you may also be saving land, lives, animals and our precious water.

    6.  Eat at locally owned restaurants, get coffee from locally owned coffee places and shop or eat at your local bakery etc. 

• Like with all the other things this contributes to the wealth of your community
• This helps keep employment levels up
• Supporting locally owned businesses keeps businesses open
• This keeps our communities rich in diversity and creativity
• This allows you to experience a variety of flavors and styles of cooking
• This allows you to experience unique and friendlier places of business and customer service
• This raises our standards on products, customer service and gives a personal touch to our lives
• This is an amazing way get to know more people as well. Locally owned places can often have a friendly atmosphere

This is a short and simple list to get you thinking.

I may not answer a lot of question but rather I want to get you asking more questions while you are out shopping and having an impact on your community. I want you to be aware that the impact you have on the world, the country and your community does affect your karma.

The more aware you are of the affect, and the importance of your actions the more responsible you will be as well.

 
There are a ton of other things you can do as well!

• Create scholarships for specific groups that are in high need
• Volunteer at a non-profit agency or organization that supports your beliefs
• Attend small music events, art shows, fairs, fund raisers and spend or donate money
• Offer to clean the yard of someone that is elderly and clearly is in need
• Pick up trash you see and put it in a trash can
• Stop people when you see them hurting and animal (only do this if it is safe to do so. If children are involved, no matter how harmful they are being, be gentle, be the adult and ask to address their parents. Please be kind to children when address their mis-guidance)
• Say hi to homeless people and treat them the same as everyone else, because they are.
• AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, DO THINGS FOR YOURSELF DAILY THAT WORK FOR YOU SUCH AS CHANTING AND MEDITATION... YOUR ENERGY, THE CHOICES YOU MAKE, BEING ABLE TO BE PROACTIVE AND NOT REACTIVE ALL MAKES A DIFFERENCE!
• YOUR INNER PEACE AFFECTS THE PEACE OF THE WORLD!

Have a beautiful and prosperous rest of the year! Thank you for reading this and keep reading, I enjoy having you as part of my journey.

Namaste

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Photo by Jody Gonzalez