A listener left us a voicemail with an interesting question that we address in this week’s episode. Listener Casey wanted advice on choosing what to do to help the world when all the choices are so overwhelming. In this episode, Janine and Shannon discuss ways to get past perfectionism and overwhelm in order to do good.
Discussion topics include:
- A listener question: How do you choose your focus when it comes to helping the world?
- Figuring out how to take action when you’re overwhelmed by the opportunities
- Shannon’s efforts to do good as she trains for her walk on the Camino de Santiago.
- How perfectionism reared its head in her efforts to pick up trash during her training walks – and how she got past it
- East vs West in Portland
- How much trash Shannon will pick up in Portugal
- Finding something doable for you that has an impact on the issue you’re concerned about
- Janine’s postcard-writing efforts that meet her needs to do good in the world
- Identifying what you enjoy doing in order to narrow down what you might do to help
- Shannon’s volunteer job of helping kids read
- Newsletters that give you an idea of what to do to help the world based on your interest
- Accepting that you’re one person with limited time and something is better than nothing
- Picking one thing and figuring out how you can do one ridiculously easy thing to help
- Trusting that someone else will do what you can’t
Links:
- Episode 82 where we talk about Shannon’s upcoming walk on the Camino de Santiago
- Newsletters for do-gooders: Americans of Conscience and My Civic Workout
- Postcards to Voters
- SMART reading program
Shannon, I think it’s wonderful that you pick up trash as you do your long walks! What a boon to the environment you are. And Janine, are you sure you can manage both Bix and a trash bag and a grabber? I don’t want you to trip and fall. I did that a few years ago and fractured my shoulder. It was NOT fun!
Good point about me handling Bix and the grabber, Christy! I was thinking about that and realized that I probably could just pick up trash with my hand inside a trash bag, as though it were poop (no grabber necessary). Since I did fall on the sidewalk twice in 2019 (through no fault of Bix’s), I really should be careful! Thank you for your concern.