Kindness, Poverty and Blog Action Day 2008

Today is Blog Action Day. For Blog Action Day 2008, nearly 10,000 bloggers have committed to writing on the topic of Poverty. [Update: The final count is 12,800 bloggers who had participated.] And, I am one of them.

Kindness In Rough Times

As many of us scale back our living standards and struggle to balance our increasingly constricted budgets in the face of economic uncertainties, the last thing on our minds is generosity and kindness. Yet, as our retirement savings diminish, holiday bonuses disappear and our jobs and homes become at risk, our lives are still showered with abundance in comparison to many others in the world.

Even when our financial future appears frightening (or perhaps especially when it does), the awareness of poverty and generous acts against poverty give rise to inspiration. They remind us of how fortunate we are, and show us just how much we have to give even when we feel as if we have very little.

5 Reasons To Take Action Against Poverty

1. Kindness is inspiring.
2. Through giving we become aware of the abundance in our own lives.
3. When we make the world a better place, we have a better world in which to live.
4. Through kindness and generosity, we become less preoccupied with our own problems.
5. There is no action we can take that will offer as much meaning to our lives as giving of ourselves.

5 Ways To Take Action Against Poverty

1. The most obvious thing you can do is to donate money to organizations who help the poor. You can also donate cloths, food and other items.
2. Volunteering for organizations is a great way to give of yourself and experience the camaraderie of other kind, generous and inspired people. Doing volunteer work in impoverished areas is a life changing experience.
3. Consider the impact of your day-to-day actions. For instance, buy products from companies with policies that do not exploit the poor.
4. Talk about poverty with others: friends, co-workers, government representatives. Poverty is a topic most of us who are unaffected tend to forget about as we face the challenges of our day-to-day lives. The more we talk about it, the more likely we are to take action.
5. Raise your awareness of poverty. You can start today by visiting the Blog Action Day website and reading what others are writing on this topic.