[EzineArticles] 25 Writing Ideas and Article Topics to Reach Your Audience

25 Writing Ideas and Article Topics To Reach Your Audience Content Is King Write quality, original content that meets the interests and needs of your audience and you will succeed at becoming a leading authority in your niche - but no matter how long you sit at your writing desk, what if you can't think of what you should write about? Whether you've been writing articles for years or you're brand new to content writing, bookmark or pin this list of writing ideas and article topics to give your next writing session (and all future writing sessions) a great kick start. Categorize Phases: Identify stages of a process, activity, or topic in general, such as introductory, advanced, and professional or even mild, moderate, and severe. Take Them Back in Time: Reminisce and reflect on how it has changed for better or for worse. Readers love nostalgia and younger generations may be able to use it for research. Create a Checklist: Make a list of items required, things to be done, points to be considered, or items used as a reminder. Identify Common Problems: Describe a frequent problem or problems and then provide solutions. Uncover Obscure Problems: Describe a sporadic or uncommon problem or problems and then provide solutions. Take a Stance: Factually address a controversial issue, but be on the side of caution! Make telling the truth your goal and the controversy the side effect of that truth. Propose Counter Positions: Suggest the other side of a topic by providing the counter argument or angle. Jump Into Current Events: While staying in your niche, identify relevant links between a current event and a topic as well as show your audience how they're affected. Write a Dear Expert Q&A: Provide a relevant question from a client or customer in a Dear [Your Name] format and provide a personable, compassionate response. Provide All Angles: Consider a highly discussed topic and provide an in-depth explanation of a topic based on unique insights, analysis, and commentary - pros and cons, risks and benefits, etc. Illustrate a Euphemism: Evaluate how a euphemism is similar to aspects in your niche and break down the meaning by listing similarities and differences. Create a List of Goals: Help readers set realistic goals by providing a list of common goals in your niche and identifying measures and milestones to achieving those goals. Identify the Golden Rules: Provide a list of rules that sum up the primary lessons you've discovered or learned through your experience and expertise in your niche. Share Gratitude: Create a list of things you're grateful for in your niche and explain how each item works and why it was critical to your success. Bring Seasonal Cheer: Select a holiday or season and provide tips or insights relevant to the festive context (e.g., decorating, presents, traditions, consequences, etc.). Be Helpful with a How To: Like a recipe, provide the chronological steps to achieve a particular end goal as well as list the ingredients or supplies needed. Share the Love: Share something you love (or have a passion for) and describe why you love it. Industry Trends: Identify, provide examples of, and analyze recent trends in your niche that are pertinent. Lay Down the Law: Even if they're more like guidelines than laws, create a list that identifies the unwritten rules or laws of your niche. Take Readers on Location: Share location-specific details about places you're familiar with, like sharing a perspective on culture values, local/regional laws, unique amenities, and attractions. Share Saving Techniques: Pick a resource in your niche that's important, share why it matters, and propose proven methods to save that resource. Prevent Mistakes: Hindsight is 20/20. Turn your mistakes into an education resource to help your readers avoid the mistake by identifying them and then provide measures on how it can be avoided. Recommend Motivating Activators: Share how you stay motivated to maintain your drive for success in lieu of the constant balancing act of family, work, and play. Bust Myths: Point out a prevailing myth in your niche. Bust it by providing evidence, whether one point or a list of facts, that completely debunks it. Review Products and Services: Provide an unbiased critique of a product or service in your niche that will help benefit readers in their purchase. Allow me to let you in on a little secret: This list is based on the writing ideas and prompts of the first 25 article templates you get in the bulk 52 Article Templates package. Get the structure for these writing ideas and 25 more article topics by downloading all 52 interactive Article Templates on PDF! Want more? Browse our Build Your Own Article Template Packages which contain a set of 15 interactive article templates on PDF. Get the package that best suits your audience and your needs to write quality, original articles fast! Questions? Comments? Click here to share your feedback - we'd love to hear from you! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Penny, Managing Editor http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Bonus! Get 10 interactive Article Templates on PDF FREE by signing up for any Premium Membership subscription length. Sign up at http://Shop.EzineArticles.com/ EzineArticles Member Endorsement "... the positive effects of passive income and name recognition is well worth the effort." Thanks so much for the great publicity. I was amazed at how many articles I already had written when I started digging out all my old notes and speeches. It just took a little reformatting, bringing up to date and filling in here and there to have them ready to send off to you. Even though we are swamped with projects, the positive effects of passive income and name recognition is well worth the effort. Keep up the good work. Judy H. Wright ArtichokePress.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-9244762-5233187.e085d87993250aab11f3e0c15f1c2785@lists.permissionbasedemail.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2013 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

Stressing about money can be exhausting...

Dear thomas,

Worrying about your bills...wondering if 
you'll get by...stressing about your job...feeling 
like there's never enough money...

It can all be extremely overwhelming.

Stop stressing about money - go here to
learn how:

http://www.selfgrowth.com/solos/tappingsolution2.html

Do you ever feel like no matter what you 
do, there's still a part of your brain that is 
always worrying and stressing about money?  

There's a reason why money is the #1 topic 
that people always want to work on...it's 
because it causes a heck of a lot of stress!  
And it has a huge effect on all areas of our life...

When we're stressed about money, our brains 
literally don't function to full capacity.  Have 
you ever had a situation where you were 
completely stressed and went completely blank?  

Maybe it was at work when you were called on 
in a meeting, or when you were on a date?  
And you drew a complete...blank.

Well that's because when our brains go into 
stress...they literally shut down.

And when you compound day after day after 
day of stressing about money, health, 
relationships and other areas of your life, it 
can make life feel, well...not fun!

Which is why the other day I recommended 
watching a powerful webinar presentation with 
New York Times Best-selling author of the 
book "The Tapping Solution", Nick Ortner where 
he shares the secrets he used to go from being 
stressed out, overwhelmed, overworked and 
almost a million, yes a MILLION, dollars in debt, 
to completely paying off his debts and 
becoming financially liberated, in just a few 
short years.

I highly recommend attending one of the 
webinars he's running by going here:

http://www.selfgrowth.com/solos/tappingsolution2.html

What I love about Nick's approach is that he 
helps you to not only address how you can rewire 
your brain to be more financially successful, but 
just as importantly how to rewire your brain and 
body to not be so stressed out and overwhelmed 
about money and anything else in your life.  

After all, there are plenty of unhappy rich people.  

What I want, and what I know Nick wants, is to help 
you to reach the level of abundance that you want 
AND to be happier than ever when you get there.  

True bliss is reached when you have the freedom 
and the ability to do what you want to do, and the 
emotional strength to fully enjoy it, for both yourself 
and the people in your life who you get to help.  
That's where the real magic happens.

So show up for one of the webinars, and be ready 
to go through a truly eye-opening process:

http://www.selfgrowth.com/solos/tappingsolution2.html

To living a happy AND prosperous life,

David Riklan
Editor - Self Improvement Newsletter
Founder - SelfGrowth.com

P.S. - As I also mentioned in my last email, 
EFT Tapping and Nick's work comes highly 
recommended by personal development experts 
like Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer, Kris Carr, Cheryl 
Richardson, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Jack Canfield, 
Bob Proctor, Joe Vitale, Arielle Ford, Dr. Joseph 
Mercola, and so many others.  The list really 
does go on and on.  

You'll see in this webinar that the Tapping 
technique can rewire your brain and impact 
your financial future in truly life-changing ways.  

http://www.selfgrowth.com/solos/tappingsolution2.html

 

 

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[EzineArticles] Harness the Awesome Power of Article Templates

Harness the Awesome Power of Article Templates The ultimate tool for making your writing faster, easier, and better! Much of your success with article writing and marketing lies in the number of high-quality, informative, and original articles you have published. Notice the emphasis on high-quality, informative, and original? Nothing trumps these three aspects when it comes to being successful. Skimping on any of them is the sure road to failure. However, next in line is volume. Let's face it, more published articles means more readers, and more readers means more clicks to your landing page. That's where article templates come in. They're designed to make your article writing faster, easier, and better by providing the ideas and structure you need to quickly create great original articles that are both easy to read and informative. Best of all, they provide the ideas and structure you need to get started and write efficiently. Watch this video to discover more about the awesome power of article templates: Downloadable Versions:                 As I mentioned in the video, our article template packages come in two different varieties: the 52 Article Templates Package and the Build-Your-Own Article Template Packages. The first provides 52 assorted templates that have a variety of styles and structures with which to write your articles. The second has a selection of smaller article packages, each with its own theme. You simply pick and choose the packages that are right for you. Looking to increase your exposure, readership, and landing page visits while at the same time making your writing efforts faster, better, easier, and more enjoyable? Then by all means, get yourself some article templates! :-D You can find them at http://Shop.EzineArticles.com/ Questions? Comments? Click here to share your feedback - we'd love to hear from you! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Marc, Product Marketing Manager http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: As you can see, article templates are a great tool for making your article writing faster, easier, and more enjoyable. Adding the assorted tools of a Premium membership can make it even better. Check out everything Premium has to offer at http://EzineArticles/Premium/ EzineArticles Member Endorsement "I love the templates" I find I love the templates and have a file with copies of all of them. Sometimes I go through them and put Post-it notes on individual templates with ideas/titles/themes - ready for possible development into an article ... it often stirs a memory or fits somehow with an opinion I hold, or an idea that's still deep within my 'think tank.' Christine Larsen CDCraftee.com EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-9239523-5233187.e085d87993250aab11f3e0c15f1c2785@lists.permissionbasedemail.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2013 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

[Video] Important message from Bob Proctor

Dear thomas,

Have you seen the hit movie the Secret, with Jack Canfield, Joe Vitale and Bob Proctor?

If so, you might remember Bob saying:

"If you can see it in your mind, you can hold it in your hand."

No words have ever been more true.

So why are people just like you and me selling ourselves short of our desired success every single day?

Bob Proctor answers WHY in this video

Perhaps you or someone you know would like to earn more money, get back in shape, find the perfect partner or live a more fulfilling life?

In this video Bob gives you exactly what you need to NEVER settle for less than you deserve again.

If you've ever left your goals and dreams lying on the table, this video is for you.

Click here to watch Bob's video

To your success,

David Riklan
Editor - Self Improvement Newsletter
Founder - SelfGrowth.com

 

 

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[EzineArticles] NEW: Expert Author-Themed Facebook Cover Photos

NEW: Expert Author-Themed Facebook Cover Photos Do you like our wallpapers? Then you'll definitely love our Facebook Cover photos! If you haven't already liked EzineArticles' Facebook page then you're definitely missing out! Like us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest Expert Author news, blog post releases, daily article writing inspiration, photos, and much more. Explore and like what you see, comment to kick start or join a conversation, ask questions that benefit the entire Expert Author community, and feel free to post a photo or video related to your article writing experience. And now you can take a little EzineArticles and writing love to your own personal Facebook profile page with EzineArticles' free cover photos! Click on any of the images below to visit this post online and download your favorite EzineArticles' Facebook Cover Photo to use as your very own! EzineArticles' Self-Improvement Month Cover Photo EzineArticles' Fuel Up Cover Photo EzineArticles' Beverly Sills Quote Cover Photo EzineArticles' Chevron Cover Photo EzineArticles' Sunrise Cover Photo EzineArticles' Good for Your Soul Cover Photo Need help loading your cover photo on Facebook? Find Facebook's help information here. Don't forget to "Like" our Facebook Page and say hello! Facebook not your thing? Get instant access to a dynamic stream of information, discussions, tweets, posts, videos, and a whole lot more with the EzineArticles social network. Check out our other EzineArticles channels! Find us on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube. Like what you see? Let us know! Click here to share your feedback - we'd love to hear from you! To Your Article Writing Success & Passion! Penny, Managing Editor http://Blog.EzineArticles.com/ http://EzineArticles.com/ PS: Want more time to spend on your social media efforts? Find that time with the speed and efficiency you get from using article templates! http://Shop.EzineArticles.com/ EzineArticles Member Endorsement "EzineArticles surely has worked for me." I really have supported my business with my ezine articles ... This has been a tremendous boost to branding of my name, my website, and my various projects. I am looked upon as an expert on aging, someone that writes about their subject. People get an idea of what you think, as well as what you can give to their organization or on an individual basis. EzineArticles surely has worked for me. Patricia Weaver PatriciaWeaver.net EzineArticles Newsletter Information Join EzineArticles | Manage Your Subscription | EzineArticles RSS Feed | List Support Create Free Membership Account | Login For Members Only To Leave The EzineArticles Newsletter: leave-9234944-5233187.e085d87993250aab11f3e0c15f1c2785@lists.permissionbasedemail.com ISSN: 1525-7126 - Library Of Congress, Washington D.C. Postal address: EzineArticles.com, PO Box 12740 Green Bay WI 54307 USA © Copyright 1999-2013 EzineArticles.com. All Rights Reserved.

How to Rewire Your Brain for Success

Dear thomas,

Do you know what the #1 issue is that 
most people want to work on and improve? 
Not surprisingly, it's their finances...

Go here to learn how you can rewire your brain
for financial success:

http://www.selfgrowth.com/solos/tappingsolution1.html

For most people, just thinking about 
paying the bills brings up a lot of stress. 
Whether you're someone who's deep in 
debt, or just getting by living paycheck to 
paycheck, or doing well and pushing 
forward to create the financial future you 
want but not quite there yet, I think you'd 
probably agree with me on this one thing...

You'd like to have more money, less stress
and more freedom to be able to do what 
you want in your life. Would you agree?

Well, I have a powerful resource to share 
with you today that will show you how 
to create a more abundant, stress-free, 
financial future, faster than you ever 
thought possible.

It's a powerful, life-changing webinar 
being run by New York Times best-selling 
author of "The Tapping Solution," Nick 
Ortner. I highly recommend checking out
this page and attending one of the webinars:

http://www.selfgrowth.com/solos/tappingsolution1.html

If you've ever heard it said that successful 
people have certain patterns, traits, beliefs 
and a certain "energy" to them...that's 
because they do.

That's why so often you see that successful 
people - those who have the right subconscious 
patterns - can have major setbacks and even 
lose all their money because of one challenge 
or another, yet turn things around, grow and 
get it all back extremely quickly!

In this webinar Nick is going to show you how 
to use EFT Tapping to literally rewire your brain 
for financial success, changing the patterns, 
eliminating the blocks, creating the traits, 
belief systems and energy system for success.

I can't recommend this webinar enough. As 
Wayne Dyer put it when talking about EFT 
Tapping, "Put away your skepticism; this really 
works. I have worked with Nick and had great 
results with tapping in my own life."

http://www.selfgrowth.com/solos/tappingsolution1.html

Also, I want you to know that what Nick shares 
isn't just "theory." He has coached thousands 
of people to improve their finances. And most 
importantly, he went through a financial 
transformation himself, which he'll share in the 
webinar.

In fact, Nick went from being almost a million - yes, 
a MILLION - dollars in debt to completely turning 
it around, paying off his debt, and building a 
multi-million dollar business, all in just a few years.

His story is pretty remarkable, and the techniques 
that he'll share to transform your financial future 
are even more remarkable...

Get ready to eliminate your stress around money 
issues, and discover a way to truly become free...

http://www.selfgrowth.com/solos/tappingsolution1.html

Enjoy,

David Riklan
Editor - Self Improvement Newsletter
Founder - SelfGrowth.com

P.S. - EFT Tapping and Nick's work comes 
highly recommended by personal development 
experts like Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer, Kris Carr, 
Cheryl Richardson, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Jack 
Canfield, Bob Proctor, Joe Vitale, Arielle Ford, 
Dr. Joseph Mercola, and so many others. The
list really does go on and on.

What you'll discover in this webinar about how 
the Tapping technique can rewire your brain 
and impact your financial future is truly life-changing.
You don't want to miss out on this...

http://www.selfgrowth.com/solos/tappingsolution1.html

 

 

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Or contact us at:
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Phone: 732-617-1030
Email: editors@selfgrowth.com

Self Improvement Newsletter from SelfGrowth.com: 5 Ways to Cultivate Patience & Great Ways to Volunteer

Self Improvement Newsletter Improve Your Life Today!   9/16/13 issue:   5 Ways to Cultivate Patience & Great Ways to Volunteer Email for: killdragonhero@gmail.com * Self Improvement and Personal Growth Weekly Newsletter * Issue #784, Week of September 16-17, 2013 Publisher: David Riklan - http://www.SelfGrowth.com In this issue: -- Quotes of the Week -- Recommended Resource of the Week -- Article: 5 Ways to Cultivate Patience - By Rob White -- Article: Why Don't We Volunteer? The Dare to Care - By Kari Henley -- Book Review: Emotional First Aid: Practical Strategies for Treating Failure, Rejection, Guilt, and Other Everyday Psychological Injuries - By Guy Winch, Ph.D. -- Inspirational News Story of the Week -- How to Subscribe and Unsubscribe from this Newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------ *** Quotes of the Week *** ------------------------------------------------------------ He either fears his fate too much, or his deserts are small, who dares not put it to the touch to gain or lose it all. - Marquis of Montrose, 1612-1650 We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance. - Benjamin Disraeli, 1804-1881 Discontent is the source of all trouble, but also of all progress, in individuals and nations. - Berthold Auerbach, 1812-1882 ------------------------------------------------------------ *** Recommended Resource of the Week *** ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ *** Article: 5 Ways to Cultivate Patience - By Rob White *** ------------------------------------------------------------ OK, this is an old joke, so forgive me if you've heard it. A psychologist is giving a talk and describes how every couple has its own unique frequency of making love. She then asks people in the audience to state how often they have sex. Hands shot up as she called out "Once a day?" "Several days a week?" "Once a week?" and so on. At the end of her questioning, a fellow in the back of the room was frantically waving his hand. When she called on him, he screamed exuberantly, "Once a year!" "If you only make love once a year, why are you so excited?" "Tonight's the night!" This joke has been on my mind since the great Brood II locust infestation of 2013 started back in May. These lowly critters have waited 17 years to see the light of day, do their reproductive duty, and then die. As Sara Maslin Nir pointed out in a New York Times essay, the 17-year locust cycle, like the passing of Halley's comet and transit of Venus, are so rare as to be "metaphors for the virtues of patience itself." While locusts obviously don't have any conscious capability for experiencing "patience," the occasion of their burrowing to the surface for a brief stay on earth does make one think: How can we, with our greatly evolved super brains, become more patient beings. Here are some thoughts. Five ways to be patient: 1. Pay attention to what's making you feel like you're in a hurry. Our minds are constantly jumping from thought to thought, task to task, worry to worry. We live interrupted lives, punctuated with distractions that come at us from all sides. Multi-tasking is the norm. (Even though there's strong evidence that shows there's no such thing!) All this adds up to a state of hurry. Here's a little trick that I like to call "number it." There are two steps to the "number it" process: (1) list and number all of the things that are pulling you every which way, and (2) reduce the list to things that have to be done. These steps alone will illuminate the insanity of the jumping mind and the value of slowing down. 2. Take your mind to obedience school and learn the command "Sit!" Sounds trite, but when you break the impatience mode, even for a second, you have a chance to make a choice: (a) continue business as usual, or (b) opt out for a moment of patience. Saying sit reminds you of option B. Patience not only relaxes you, it also offers that wonderful state of being that we call "peace of mind," which has an incredible effect of the quality of life. 3. Take a time out to notice all of the good things that life offers you. Begin by noticing that every time you breathe in, there is fresh air available. That, right there is wonderful, and it is only one of ten thousand ways that life supports you, every day, with living a great life. When you pause to notice, you'll appreciate how much more life is in your favor rather than against you. Just realizing this calms you, which in turn promotes patience. 4. Let go until you feel underwhelmed. The feeling of impatience is often a consequence of feeling overwhelmed. You never achieve patience through brute force or rushing. I think of the idea of being underwhelmed as the calm state that comes with letting go of anxious feelings that destroy the easiness of life. The best way to let go is to breathe deeply and stretch your hands, letting this remind you that it is wise to stretch out your jobs, too. By just prioritizing your tasks and committing to do them one at a time, you loosen the grip that feeling overwhelmed has on you. 5. Be patient with your patience. Patience requires a change of attitude. This cannot always happen with the flip of a switch. A great way to create a new attitude is to ask yourself, "What's the bigger picture here?" This creates a state of productive curiosity that helps you to realize how many good things often happen over time. Don't get too deep or complex about the big picture; simply know that when you broaden your perspective, you interrupt old patterns of impatience, which immediately opens the door to a fresh, new attitude. Finally, remember that many of life's miracles often do not happen quickly; they require patience. Illnesses and wounds heal best with patience. Life often reveals its mysteries with patience. Difficult problems sometimes solve themselves with patience. We grow into healthy, functioning adults with patience. Impatience is self-destructive because you tie yourself down with a rope of unhealthy thoughts -- you now have five ways to cut the rope. By the way, if you missed the fun of this year's cicada infestation, just be patient -- Brood III arrives in 2030. I'm sure the members of that graduating class will be ready for their big night under the stars. If you enjoyed this article, come on over to http://www.selfgrowth.com/solos/robwhite.html for a plethora of stories, animations and practical "WOW over WOE" tips & techniques. And know you can download the free "Daily WOW!" Smartphone APP. Copyright © 2013 Rob White ** To comment on this article or to read comments about this article, go here. About the Author: Rob White, the SelfGrowth.com Official Guide to Success Principles, is an author, storyteller & a motivational coach with a purpose. Rob created RobWhiteMedia.com as a way to provide individuals with all the resources they need to wake up to the power of WOW. Rob has dedicated his life to inspire individuals to realize and accomplish their own life goals by providing seminars, workshops, videos, articles, blogs, books and original animation shorts. Rob is the author of 180, a guide to achieving "inner strength and outer freedom", and A Second Chance at Success: Remarkably Simple Ways to Open Your life to Opportunities and Turn Past Mistakes Into Lasting Confidence, Happiness and Success. Rob is regularly featured on the Huffington Post and his original articles are published in dozens of print and online publications. From his modest beginnings in a small town in Western Massachusetts, he built a multi-million dollar bi-coastal real estate business and went on to become a successful restaurateur. Rob is an expert in the fields of personal and professional growth. Drawing on 30 years of experience researching and testing myriad methods and tools for success, he has developed a concise and enriching program that unlocks the true power of human potential. http://www.selfgrowth.com/solos/robwhite.html   ------------------------------------------------------------ *** Article: Why Don't We Volunteer? The Dare to Care - By Kari Henley *** ------------------------------------------------------------ Get involved! Volunteer! This administration's determination to address recession fallout spans beyond the reach of bail out dollars, and into old fashioned barn-raising, with a passionate call to service. The United We Serve campaign challenges all Americans to make a difference by doing "good" in their communities. Make Volunteerism and community service part of your daily life, and part of the life of this nation," invites President Obama, "And I mean everyone." It sounds good, right? But wait! I can hear the excuses buzzing already: "Well, umm, ahh, you know, the new episodes of my favorite show are coming on, work is so busy, and money is tight - I just can't get involved." Sound familiar? Why don't we volunteer? Here are some of the top reasons: Not feeling qualified - "I don't know what to do." Worried you will be sucked into paying a lot of money- "I can't afford to donate." Afraid it will take too much time- "I am over committed right now as it is." I have small kids and can't get away- "My giving bone is stretched to the max." Not knowing where to go or what cause moves you -"Soup kitchens are not my thing." Maybe we don't volunteer because of the WIFFM (What's In It For Me?) factor. Here's a reframe: does feeling happier, more contented and satisfied with your life intrigue you at all? Plenty of studies have shown those who volunteer actually have improved health, and trigger the same dopamine pleasure bath as when we eat our favorite foods or have sex with the one we love. Yet most of us walk down the streets, lattes in hand, self-absorbed in our tweets and general activism apathy. Despite compelling evidence, I highly doubt swarms will start filling the streets with t-shirted volunteers, just because the President says we should. We have to feel a calling. We have to be pulled. Bottom line, we have to care. Maybe Obama understands this, and created this volunteer "challenge" to get us out of the drone zone, and rolling up the proverbial sleeves. A fantastic start -- are you moving yet? Obama may call it United We Serve, but I am going to put out a "Dare to Care." Come on, give your time to someone or something that needs help -- I dare you! Craig Newmark (founder of Craigslist), Google, UCLA, YouTube and others have collaborated on a web site called All For Good to help Americans overcome our volunteer objections, and make it happen in a big way. If you don't feel qualified, you will quickly see that even picking up trash counts, and any toddler would be proud to join in. Many options do not require any money, and even a small amount of time makes a huge difference. The site offers categories of potential interest, like Nature, Education and Health, with direct links to local opportunities in your neighborhood. No more excuses! Here's some of the WIIFY (What's In It For You) in volunteering: Meeting people you never would have met. Volunteering offers a vital experience of putting roots in the ground. Feeling a part of something larger than ourselves can transcend the heavy emotions of isolation and loneliness -- even once a month makes a difference. Gaining Perspective on Your Own Troubles. No matter how hard life can be, there is always someone worse off than you are. Getting out of our personal mire for a while is healthy and therapeutic. Having Fun! A non-profit in my area recently held a gigantic tag sale to raise urgent last minute funds, as well as to put household items in the hands of those who need them. Our format was unique: nothing had price tags, and no haggling. Everything was to be taken at will, and donations given by choice. Guess what? We raised far more than we imagined, and everyone walked away feeling good about it. Was it a lot of work? Yes. The volunteers were exhausted sorting mountains of stuff, eating cold pizza for dinner, drinking wine in paper cups, and all the while laughing our heads off. Who won? We all did. If formal volunteering is not possible or of interest, does this mean you can't "dare to care?" How a about applying the President's challenge towards the daily with our families, friends, neighbors and co-workers? Make each day an opportunity to connect with someone in pain, lend a hand before being asked, or spread some joy in the daily doldrums. Here's how you can be in service every day, without joining any organization at all: Deliver dinner to a friend or neighbor in need; even a rotisserie chicken and bread is great. Offer to baby sit a new mom's kids for an afternoon, and give her $20 for a manicure and a Starbucks coffee. Mail a card once a week with a heart-felt message. After all no one sends anything to us 'snail mail' any more. I would like to attribute this last idea to Bill, a stranger who sent me a card, out of the blue, this month. I was sure it was junk mail. Inside, Bill wrote that he read a few of my columns, and told me to "keep it up - you are doing important and good work." Bill tries to send a card every single day to someone who has touched his life, and ended the card with, I know it sounds kinda goofy, but it helps me flourish and spreads gratitude." I loved the simple idea of sending a card to a stranger. That is daring to care. That is a call to service. That is volunteering to make a difference in someone's life. Am I someone in need? Sure, I'm human, and we all need each other. Marilyn Mock is someone who "Dared to Care," in a big way last year, when she saw a sobbing woman about to lose her house at a foreclosure auction. Gripped by fate, something made her raise her hand, and win the bid for $30K. Marilyn then turned around, and gave the house back to the crying stranger, assuring her to repay as she could. That single act has transformed Marilyn's life into creating a non-profit to help thousands of others called The Foreclosure Angel Foundation. What are the myriad ways you have "Dared to Care," and how you intend to fulfill the United We Serve challenge? I'd love to hear your comments. ** To comment on this article or to read comments about this article, go here. About the Author: Kari writes for Intent.com, a premier wellness site and supportive social network where like-minded individuals can connect and support each others' intentions. Founded by Deepak Chopra's daughter Mallika Chopra, Intent.com aims to be the most trusted and comprehensive wellness destination featuring a supportive community of members, blogs from top wellness experts and curated online content relating to Personal, Social, Global and Spiritual wellness.   ------------------------------------------------------------ *** Book Review: Emotional First Aid: Practical Strategies for Treating Failure, Rejection, Guilt, and Other Everyday Psychological Injuries - By Guy Winch, Ph.D. *** ------------------------------------------------------------ Although we have bandages for cuts, chicken soup for colds, and ice packs for bruises, most of us have no idea how to treat day-to-day emotional injuries such as failure, rejection, and loss. But, as Guy Winch, Ph.D., points out, these kinds of emotional injuries often get worse when left untreated and can significantly impact our quality of life. In this fascinating and highly practical book he provides the emotional first aid treatments we have been lacking. Explaining the long-term fallout that can result from seemingly minor emotional and psychological injuries, Dr. Winch offers concrete, easy-to-use exercises backed up by hard cutting-edge science to aid in recovery. He uses relatable anecdotes about real patients he has treated over the years and often gives us a much needed dose of humor as well. Prescriptive, programmatic, and unique, this first-aid kit for battered emotions will appeal to readers of Unstuck by James S. Gordon and Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff. ***** The list price of this book is $25.95. To purchase it from Amazon.com at a price of $20.45, a 21% discount, go here. ------------------------------------------------------------ *** Inspirational News Story of the Week *** ------------------------------------------------------------ * Wife Donates Kidney to Save Husband, Ends Up Saving Dad Instead * Julie Stitt said she doesn't feel like a hero. Giving up a kidney to help save the two most important men in her life, she said, was one of the easiest decisions she ever made. Go here for the complete news story. ============================================= To advertise your website or product in our Self Improvement Newsletter, go to http://www.selfgrowth.com/form-ad-newsletter.html To submit articles or other information, please send us an email at editors@selfgrowth.com, or visit our Article Submission form at http://www.selfgrowth.com/submit-articles.html To unsubscribe or update your information, go here: Manage Preferences

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