Latest Blogs

NO STRAIGHT LINES

It's true that the quickest path between two points is a straight line. Not where you want to be or, perhaps, who you want to be? The quickest way to get to the place you want is a straight line of progress with no slip-ups. Only, that doesn't exist in the real world. There are innumerable faulty steps, falls, and outright failures on the way to our goals. And that's okay, because the quickest path isn't the only path. The journey towards becoming a better person may be a winding road, but all that matters is we keep walking it together. There are no straight lines there; so this week let's keep on the curvy path to the place, and towards the people, we want to be.

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.
- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

For the week of June 29 - July 3

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - Post the website address of a charity organization that you want others to know about.
• Tuesday - Leave the best parking spot for someone else.
• Wednesday - Respond to everyone with your kindest voice.
• Thursday - Show love in a chore you do for someone.
• Friday - Wish everyone a Happy 4th of July Weekend!

Be awesome. Make someone's day. Share this with your friends. Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram!

CHOOSING PRESENCE 

Our lives are so full of distractions that it starts to feel normal. It feels so normal that we even look for distractions when nothing is calling for our attention. It can start to feel unnatural to just be ...present. Being present in the moment with someone else means we're choosing to be there; we're choosing presence over the distractions with which we've grown comfortable. This week, our simple helps are focused on choosing to be present with people, rather than letting those moments get stolen by distractions. Life and relationships are more fun when they get our full attention.

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.
- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

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For the week of June 15 - June 19

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - Look into the eyes of the person talking to you.
• Tuesday - Invite someone to sign up to be part of the Simple.Help family at Simple.Help.
• Wednesday - Help someone who is going through something you’ve been through.
• Thursday - Ask someone, “What can I do to help you?”
• Friday - Wish someone a Happy Father’s Day Weekend!

Be awesome. Make someone's day. Share this with your friends. Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram!

HOW TO SOLVE BIG PROBLEMS

It's easy to overestimate problems and underestimate our ability to help. Certainly, there are big problems out there; we're in no danger of overestimating their size. But if we're not careful, we can overestimate their invulnerability to change. It's often because we underestimate our ability to effect that change. No single act of kindness can write its own headline the way a catastrophe can. But those simple helps we offer are how we can change the world. We change headlines by impacting the story of people's lives in personal ways.

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.
- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

For the week of June 8 - June 12

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - Start today; no judging another.
• Tuesday - Put an extra umbrella in your car to give someone who needs it.
• Wednesday - Make a list of someone’s best qualities and give it to them.
• Thursday - Check out this way to help someone who is blind: https://www.bemyeyes.com/
• Friday - Relay an overheard compliment.

Be awesome. Make someone's day. Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram!

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Hope vs. Fear

Two big events happened this week. Two men flew to the International Space Station on a SpaceX rocket, and American cities burned with riots in the streets. It was hope made contrast with fear. It was a vision of what's possible when we work together, on a backdrop of what's at stake when we're torn apart. And that's why the world needs you this week. It needs us. The Simple Helps this week aren't rocket science; they're simple. But rockets aren't the only way to lift us. Hope elevates us when it is dramatic and when it is simple. And it's exactly what the world needs right now.

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.
- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

For the week of June 1 - June 5

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - Praise someone in front of others.
• Tuesday - Ask someone to talk to you about what means the most to them.
• Wednesday - Send a card to a kid in the hospital. http://www.cardsforhospitalizedkids.com/
• Thursday - Let someone go in front of you.
• Friday - Use your social media or email to let people know about a friend’s or acquaintance’s small business, blog, or website.

Be awesome. Make someone's day. Share this with your friends. Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram!

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Judging vs. Empathizing

There is an easy way to predict if an imperfect action will be met with empathy or judgment. Who are we asking? If it's us who did it, we'll usually have a great reason. We have a lot of empathy for ourselves, because we know about all the mitigating factors that led to a decision. ("I hate to cut in traffic but I'm so incredibly late!") If it's us who've been inconvenienced, we're quick to judge whoever did it. We have a lot of judgment for others, because we usually don't know a single factor that led to their decision. It's a simple idea to treat others the way we'd want to be treated, but that doesn't mean it's easy. It's hard because it requires empathy (to get inside the feelings of others). And that's exactly what we get to practice with this week's simple helps!

Don't Forget:

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.

- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

For the week of May 18 - May 22

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - Deal with the faults of another as gently as your own.
• Tuesday - Don’t nag anyone about anything today.
• Wednesday - Encourage a senior citizen with a letter. www.lovefortheelderly.org
• Thursday - Encourage someone who is having a rough day.
• Friday - Congratulate a graduate.

Be awesome. Make someone's day. Share this with your friends. Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram!

Practice makes perfect

When we see a star athlete performing at the top of their game, we can think "they make it look easy." And they do. But it takes years and years, and thousands of hours, to make it look easy. And that practice benefits the future goal, even though it doesn't benefit anyone too much while it's happening. Helping people gets more effortless with practice too! We can start to make it look easy when we get enough practice in. One huge difference: the practice we put in now benefits the people around us. Whether we are practicing kindness or have become champions of kindness, the world is better for it.

Don't Forget:

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.

- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

For the week of May 11 - May 15

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - Ask a mom what the best thing was about her Mother’s Day.
• Tuesday - Tell someone who ought to know, “You made my day.”
• Wednesday - Send an encouraging text message to someone you haven’t contacted in a while.
• Thursday - Thank a teacher.  Whether written or spoken, you will be thanking someone who doesn’t hear it enough.
• Friday - Designate your favorite charity to receive .5% of what you spend on smile.amazon.com. Can’t decide which one? How about Community Resource Network - preventing family homelessness in Central Florida?

Be awesome. Make someone's day.  Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram!

Two ears and one mouth

If we ask a parent why we have two ears and one mouth, it's because we should listen twice as much as we talk. If we ask a biologist, however, it's because two ears provide useful stereo for locating the sound source. And because we can project and direct our voice better with just one mouth. Then we'd realize the parent was right all along, because we would've never learned those biology factoids without listening! This week is about listening first and second, then speaking third. It's a simple way to help make the world better. And bonus, our ears and mouth were built for this.

Don't Forget:

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.

- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

For the week of May 4 - May 8

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - Listen to someone without having to add your own story to what they’ve said.
• Tuesday - Learn something new and share it with a friend. You can start here.
• Wednesday - Let someone have their way without rolling your eyes or sighing.
• Thursday - Ask someone to tell you about their pet.
• Friday - Lighten the mood; engage someone with a joke. Don’t know any? Here you go: JOKES

Be awesome. Make someone's day.  Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram!

Us vs. Them

Group affiliation is natural. We've got loyalty to a family, or a country, or 100 other kinds of groups. It's an instinctual and super helpful trait. "Us" is almost always better than "me." But it gets us into trouble when we change our sights to "us" being better than "them." Groups can unite or divide people. This week, our Simple Helps are from members of "us" who get these emails. We get to join in and do these actions as part of that group. If you think about it, the only difference between us and them is... you.

Don't Forget:

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.

- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

For the week of April 27 - May 1

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - While making dinner or a snack, make an extra plate and share it with a neighbor. - submitted by Dianne Brown
• Tuesday - Sweep/leaf blower the drive or sidewalk of a neighbor: maybe even an elderly one. - submitted by Becky Brown
• Wednesday - Give random compliments to people throughout the day. - submitted by Hope Duncan
• Thursday - Write a letter or email to someone telling them how much you care about them. - submitted by Lauren Pence
• Friday - Take a walk around the neighborhood; say “Hi!” and wave to everyone you meet. - submitted by Carol Boldman

Be awesome. Make someone's day. Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram!

Home vs. Away

We're all still staying home, and there are two ways to look at that when it comes to helping others. A glass half-full that's out of reach or a glass half-full that's right at hand. (Yes, the glass is always half-full... this is Simple Help!😃) Helping others is going to be simple or complicated depending on how you look at being stuck at home. In sports, playing away games is harder for lots of reasons: unfamiliar settings, unpredictable crowds, or maybe just being tired from the trip. And that's where we have some good news! Helping other people this week doesn't have to be an away game. From the comfort of our own homes, we can brighten people's lives with this week's Simple Helps. We've got home field advantage to make this week count!

Don't Forget:

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.

- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

For the week of April 20 - April 24

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - Check in with someone who is alone.
• Tuesday - Keep helping everyone by staying home, practicing social distancing, and washing your hands.
• Wednesday - Thank a person who makes your life easier.
• Thursday - Clean up someone’s mess today.
• Friday - Email your Simple Help suggestions to info@simple.help. Suggestions should take less than 5 minutes and cost less than $5.

Be awesome. Make someone's day. Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram!

Mental energy

As the weeks continue with social distancing and extra precautions, it's understandable feeling a little more drained than usual. It takes a lot of mental energy to deal with such a radical change in lifestyle. Here's some encouragement on that front: mental energy has a lot in common with physical energy. The greatest athletes in the world are capable of doing tremendous physical feats for incredible amounts of time because they put hours and years of practice in. Mentally, the ability to create joy and intentional kindness is enhanced by the same kind of practice. Need more mental reserve? Sometimes the best answer is to simply help someone else.

Don't Forget:

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.

- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

For the week of April 13 - April 17

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - Play Freerice.  Answer questions to donate rice, to people in need, through the UN World Food Programme. Ten grains of rice are donated each time you answer a question.
• Tuesday - Make someone smile today; bonus points for making them laugh.
• Wednesday - Use your social media to recommend a great book you’ve read or excellent Netflix series you’ve watched.
• Thursday - Respond to everyone with your kindest voice.
• Friday - Thank someone who is helping others during this COVID-19 crisis.

Be awesome. Make someone's day. Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram!

Easy + Time = Hard

It's easy to put in a little extra effort at work, or to stay home and put in a little extra effort there. It's hard to do that over and over again. The difference between us making the world better or leaving it the same is rarely made in huge leaps. It's in consistent steps, time after time, moving onward through the easy days... and continuing on through the days when it gets hard. But we're all in this together. This week, when it's hard to do something simple to help, just know those are the moments that really do change the world.

Don't Forget:

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.

- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

For the week of April 6 - April 10

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - Check out auntbertha.com to learn about social service offerings in your area.
• Tuesday - Before bed tonight, write down a good thing you witnessed today and tomorrow let that person know that you noticed their effort.
• Wednesday - Write a thank you note to your mail carrier and put it in your mailbox. Simple Help bonus points: include $5.
• Thursday - Cut someone some slack.
• Friday - Make that overdue apology today.

Be awesome. Make someone's day.  Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram

Keeping our distance

It's odd hearing that the nicest thing we can do for our neighbors right now is to keep our distance. That may be true, but it is also true that it isn't the only nice thing we can do! There are many ways to serve and help those around us, brightening their days, without having to be within six feet of them. This week, our Simple Helps are aimed at keeping the distance geographically, but keeping people closer to our hearts. Kindness isn't bounded by time or space, it can thrive anywhere.

Don't Forget:

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.

- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

For the week of March 30 - April 3

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - Ask someone to tell you about one of their best days ever.
• Tuesday - Encourage someone on social media today.
• Wednesday - Tell someone you are thankful for them and tell them why.
• Thursday - Do a chore around the house or outside that you wouldn't normally do.
• Friday - Give someone a genuine compliment.

Be awesome. Make someone's day.  Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram!

Isolation

Strange times these days. The people whose job is to keep us healthy and safe are telling us the best way to care for one another is to keep our distance. It's probably the simplest way to help of all. Certainly not easy, but simple. We're never really in isolation though. You're reading this on a device that connects you with the rest of the world. Even when we are apart, we are connected. This week may require some extra patience, but at least we've got some time to care for those around us, and around the world, in isolation.

Don't Forget:

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.

- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

For the week of March 23 - March 27

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - Be extra patient with people.
• Tuesday - Write “Thank you!” on the outside of an envelope, put $5 inside, and tape it to your garbage can for the trash collector.
• Wednesday - Visit www.moreloveletters.com. Check out a few stories, then take five minutes to make someone’s day.
• Thursday - Don’t complain about anything to anyone all day.
• Friday - Thank someone who has helped you along the way of your life.

Be awesome. Make someone's day.  Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram!

Technical difficulties

This email was delayed by technical difficulties... a bit apropos of the days ahead we are all facing together. There will be difficulties, technical and personal, hindering our ability or motivation to care for each other this week. Difficulties like that can go one of two ways: they can act like stairs or a wall. What's the difference? Steps! The height of the obstacles in our way are surmountable or impossible depending on how many steps we can take to overcome them. This week, let's choose to take each next right step to overcome the technical difficulties. Each step may not always be easy, but we can make it simple just by choosing the next right thing.

Don't Forget:

- You can reference Simple Help using "@gohelpsomebody" on FB, Twitter or Instagram.

- Add the hashtag "#simplehelp" to any related post on social media. Use it, and the whole tribe of helpers can easily see ways we are making a difference!

For the week of March 16 - March 20

Actions: The Simple Helps to remember

• Monday - Surprise someone with an uplifting text or call.
• Tuesday - Buy only what you need, leaving enough on the store shelves for others.
• Wednesday - Replace handshakes and hugs with waves and thumbs up.
• Thursday - Encourage someone raising children.
• Friday - Tell someone about something that you have discovered that changed your life for the better.

Be awesome. Make someone's day. Join the rest of us this week and go help somebody! To see each day’s Simple.Help in your Facebook feed Monday through Friday click here and hit “LIKE” or follow Simple.Help on Instagram!