Our cities are the result of excellent initiatives and debatable strategies. But all too-often, people in charge are making blunders.
To fully enjoy and improve your community, there’s a lot of wisdom in the adage, “Let it begin with me.”
To make a difference in your community, have you ever considered self-actualization – making and acting on personal resolutions to improve your city for everyone?
For your consideration, here are pro-active ideas:
1. Learn all you can about your environment – linger and enjoy your city’s parks, other locations, and the daily lives of your city’s residents.
2. Focus – take short trips and errands around the city. Bike or walk and take public transit. Imagine possible ways to improve safety and to improve bike lanes or infrastructure.
3. Bike, walk or use public transit to take your children to school and show them how to become self-sufficient. Teach them to enjoy your city.
4. Choose local options for your children vis-à-vis driving all over the region.
5. Evaluate what’s important to improve your city, and become an advocate. If there’s an unfilled need, create an advocacy organization – not to be negative, but to be positive.
6. Observe how your city budgets priorities. Understand your city leaders’ priorities. Then, watch to see whether their spending matches the right goals that positively affect the daily life for everyone.
7. Take the time and energy to vote in all municipal elections.
8. Go to city council, zoning and other meetings. Inform policy-makers and city officials about your concerns.
9. Help visitors, new residents and immigrants feel welcomed.
10. Evaluate whether your city is accessible and comfortable for everyone – the disabled, elderly and others. Speak out for their benefit.
11. Support the arts, the myriad of cultures and local businesses – especially the libraries, organizations and businesses that benefit the city. That includes farmers’ markets. If you don’t have any public markets, help them to get started and lobby for them.
12. Plant trees on your property and lobby for trees on your street, your neighborhood and throughout your city.
13. Continue to observe the everyday nature, civic life and residents in your city. Read about how to build and improve your city.
14. Consider what else you can do.
As a result of your efforts, you’ll feel better about your environment. And, oh yes, congratulations on your leadership.
From the Coach’s Corner, here’s a myriad of articles on stress:
30 Time Management, Stress Reducing Tips —Tips that will enable you to take bold measures to invest in your future and make money by saving time and reducing stress.
Art of Persuasion: How to Get People to Actually Listen to You — Have you ever felt invisible – where people aren’t listening to your viewpoints? Here are five recommendations to maximize your art of persuasion.
To Stay Stress-Free after Your Vacation, Copy a Dog’s Mindset — Have you ever noticed how dogs behave? They stay in the moment and never seem unhappy. We can learn from dogs to stay stress-free after a vacation.
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
-Mother Teresa
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