Notes, ideas and simple strategies for purposeful living from the author of The Difference a Day Makes: 365 Ways to Change Your World in Just 24 Hours.Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2011-04-22T01:02:29+00:00Blogger50125BloggingOnPurposehttp://feedburner.google.comKaren M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-11-25T11:59:00-08:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-18264665791673346972008-11-25T15:26:31.510-05:00If you're looking for a way to spread compassion with your gift-giving, or a way to boost your health when you can't get to the gym, check out my articles in the current issues of "Natural Health" and "Woman's Day" magazines. The December/January issue of the former explains how you can send gifts of humanitarian aid -- school supplies, mosquito nets, medicine and more -- in the name of your gift<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/GoEd4qZUrlg" height="1" width="1"/>1Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-10-27T13:37:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-80628197412177593212008-10-27T16:50:00.836-04:00Halloween is perhaps my favorite holiday, and it's also the occasion of two of my favorite ways for kids to make a difference. Encourage your children to Trick or Treat for UNICEF, so they can help kids in need all over the world, or participate in Sight Night and get eyeglasses to those who so desperately need them. Either choice will make candy rewards feel all the more richly deserved.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/Z4oaKMiqP4U" height="1" width="1"/>1Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-10-14T14:27:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-86434254618306833012008-10-14T17:27:00.618-04:00Last week I promised to share ways that you can make a difference for a friend, colleague or family member who has lost his or her job. Consider the following:&gt; Offer to help, but don't push; let your friend define how you can lend support. You may assume that sending job leads is the best strategy, but s/he may prefer interview practice or just a listening ear.&gt; If you have good contacts, by all<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/CbDSGAOOiFU" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-10-10T13:44:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-90693672219905986262008-10-10T16:55:39.675-04:00I was remarking to a friend recently that cable news is reporting only two stories these days: the U.S. presidential election and the economic crisis. Whether or not you are affected personally – and it’s likely that you are, on some level – you surely know friends and neighbors who are struggling to hold onto retirement funds, jobs or homes. So I am going to start posting ways that we can help <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/Kqgt7DUjfqY" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-09-15T09:13:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-67030066759066775142008-09-15T14:13:15.919-04:00If you have read my book, The Difference a Day Makes, or pursued the suggestions I used to post at BenevolentPlanet.com, you know that I advocate personal action over cash donations. But today, a writing colleague is in dire need, and I'd like you to consider helping in any way you can. Lori Hall Steele is a prolific, talented writer and single mom who, just this past June, published an essay in <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/BcwZ7Ykj7W0" height="1" width="1"/>1Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-09-10T07:09:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-19204368540639993362008-09-10T10:44:43.082-04:00This Thursday is the seventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Honor those who died, those who survived and those who still struggle to recover with a compassionate act:Create a special envelope for the Remember September mail art project originated by Gail Ellspermann. Learn about it here. (Sample at left by Marney Makridakis of Artellaland.com.)Do<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/om7V2cxkXpY" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-09-02T10:38:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-76925813441496750992008-09-02T14:04:24.831-04:00I don't know what it's like where you live, but here in southcentral Pennsylvania, grocery stores make it tough to be earth-friendly. I'm lucky to have bought my own reusable bags years ago, when the supermarket I frequented wasn't afraid to sell practical, large-size bags. Those tiny totes I see in the stores now seem designed more for multiple bag sales than typical grocery hauls. If consumers <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/NAIJukiAW5E" height="1" width="1"/>3Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-08-29T09:08:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-44788527524715367242008-08-29T13:07:56.268-04:00I confess: I am a news junkie. And while being informed is a good thing, I have found that too much of a good thing can be very bad. My immersion in cable news networks, major newspapers and Web headlines usually leaves me more overwhelmed than inspired. I actually wouldn't mind having more filters in place to highlight what I really need to know as opposed to what my insatiable curiosity finds <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/Pt9qtQZF37Q" height="1" width="1"/>1Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-08-19T10:34:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-9669974524051468452008-08-29T12:07:55.932-04:00It’s that time of year again. Kids are headed back to school, and teachers are trying to equip classrooms with basic supplies. Because education budgets are strained, many teachers end up spending hundreds of dollars out of their own pockets to provide students with the tools they need to learn. You can help. Visit DonorsChoose.org or ILoveSchools.com and fulfill a classroom’s wish list. You can <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/2Xmh2xjnJ0w" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-08-12T10:40:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-81882965969845974722008-08-12T13:49:13.423-04:00Recently New York City restricted seven miles of urban street for bicycle-only traffic. The “Summer Streets” event lasted only six hours, but it will be repeated two more times this month. By most accounts, the first outing was a great success.As someone who loves her bicycle, I would be thrilled if it were easier and safer to get around on two wheels. I am not alone, according to the founders of<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/vmhvNlGfkTk" height="1" width="1"/>2Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-08-08T12:57:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-84230263416902074862008-08-08T17:23:52.959-04:00Like many of you, I practically live on the Internet. My work requires it, but even if it didn't, I suspect I would still devote hours to its many attractions. So I was happy to have a face-to-face meeting this week with the executive director of Project S.H.A.R.E., the rather remarkable food bank that serves the area where I live. (Listen to this brief NPR report on how rising food prices are <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/UkGer1JD1nE" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-07-29T13:21:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-34570873410193142482008-07-29T17:11:02.783-04:00 The current housing crisis in the United States gives us plenty of opportunity to practice compassion. Some say they have no sympathy for people who bought houses they couldn't afford. But the story is much more complex, with so many now suffering the fallout. Homeowners who would sell if they could, trapped in the continuing downturn. Neighbors whose property values plummet with each new <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/URO4Q9P1GfA" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-07-22T13:54:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-33605956875322265562008-07-22T16:58:02.440-04:00Like minds Sam Davidson and Stephen Moseley have written a book that sounds mighty useful (and slightly familiar!), New Day Revolution: How to Save the World in 24 Hours. You can win a signed copy by sharing your favorite ways to make a difference through the daily choices you make. Why not click on over and express your everyday altruism?<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/PdRh15rjxH0" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-07-22T12:22:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-30130955942141935982008-07-22T16:53:59.449-04:00This past weekend, I attended a conference on animal welfare. Near the end of the day, a fellow attendee confessed to me that she was tired and discouraged. She had spent the weekend viewing acts of extraordinary human cruelty against animals, and despite the efforts of so many compassionate advocates, she couldn’t imagine that behavior changing in her lifetime.Her despair reminded me of Larry <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/WOmQVUCloBY" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-07-15T14:09:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-33098651857563966572008-07-15T17:53:06.465-04:00My book, The Difference a Day Makes, was published three years ago, which the industry considers a lifetime. But expressing the humanity we have in common, in simple, daily ways, seems to have a long shelf-life; the book is still selling nicely, and this week, it was the #1 bestseller in its category on Amazon.com. That means our community of Everyday Altruists is growing every day.And speaking <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/SDAJK9Ag1FU" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-07-08T13:39:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-79740230536362678052008-07-15T17:56:30.086-04:00Sometimes "compassionate action" is as simple as employing common consideration. July is Cell Phone Courtesy Month. Have you gotten so accustomed to those voices in your ear that you're ignoring the humanity around you? Try to mind your wireless manners by:&gt; Letting calls go to voicemail when you're in others' company.&gt; Turning your phone off, or to vibrate, at public performances, presentations <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/5KFu8YUHiwE" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-06-17T14:22:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-71661352134712710352008-06-17T17:58:46.938-04:00If you don't live in the American midwest, or in another area where rising waters have destroyed all you own, it may be hard to imagine leaving behind your home, the things you love, and maybe even the animal companions who depend on you in a sudden evacuation. Finding yourself waist-high in a toxic soup, trying to get yourself and your loved ones to safety. Bunking down in a temporary shelter <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/_pCKxb9Ywmg" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-05-28T13:52:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-32712015381835038912008-05-28T16:56:02.941-04:00$299.95 =Cost of a Pink SUV Pet Stroller from the Beverly Hills Mutt Club Cost to provide medical supplies to care for 6 shelter animals, from rescue to adoption, at the Animal Rescue Foundation in Walnut Creek, Calif.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/sTdbHjKvC1w" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-05-20T13:45:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-31793370685265074792008-05-20T16:55:17.592-04:00I write about the benefits of good neighboring in the current (May) issue of Natural Health Magazine. It's the "Make One Change" feature on the issue's last page. (In March, I wrote a "Make One Change" about donating your old eyeglasses to those in need.) You may want to check it out before it disappears from newsstands.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/MxEmblVzorY" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-05-20T11:46:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-90928282418449868562008-05-23T11:28:28.415-04:00Monday is Memorial Day in the United States, a day to remember all those who have died in a war. To date, 4079 U.S. troops have lost their lives in Iraq. The number of Iraqi civilians killed isn’t reported by the U.S. government, but the lowest estimates range from some 84,000 to just under 92,000. Numbers like these can be numbing, hard to translate into human suffering. In America, we are <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/sdgRiqBtOC4" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-05-13T09:05:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-46583662913829323962008-05-19T10:38:19.541-04:00Eleven days after a cyclone devasted Myanmar, relief efforts are finally beginnng to make a bit of progress. While restrictions on reporters are limiting the amount of photos and video coming out of the country, those images that have emerged depict extraordinary suffering. If you are moved to help, here are some simple options:Use the press releases and other information at the UN Refugee <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/sUIgpP0niGg" height="1" width="1"/>1Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-05-06T08:15:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-58566007784837820302008-05-23T11:34:28.661-04:00"Green" living tips are everywhere these days, which is a good thing. Maybe you've bought energy-efficient lightbulbs and started turning out the lights when you leave a room, or maybe you buy locally grown food and drive a hybrid car. Whatever your shade of green, do you ever wonder how well you're doing? I just discovered a fun Web site that measures how many Planet Earths we would need to <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/2ivWoFhY9tA" height="1" width="1"/>1Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-05-05T13:56:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-51305958997191141182008-05-23T11:43:29.873-04:00Among animal "sports" -- from greyhound racing and dog fighting, to rodeo and bullfighting -- horse racing is surely the most widely accepted, the least questioned. And yet an average of twice a day in the United States, a horse sustains an injury or fatality that ends its racing career, according to an editorial in the Washington Post. A USA Today blog reports that, from 2004 to 2006, at just <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/A7WoyGQHnKA" height="1" width="1"/>0Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-05-02T15:15:00-07:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-47301395798584051382008-05-23T11:48:51.731-04:00I will know we have made real progress in race relations when the media no longer talks about the black vote, the Hispanic vote, the white male vote, etc. Can there be any better way to emphasize our differences than to divide us by ethnicity and report information accordingly? Why is this necessary? Does it advance our understanding of the issues or tell us anything about the candidates that <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/IeNDZJzpdJo" height="1" width="1"/>1Karen M. Jonesnoreply@blogger.com2008-01-22T14:12:00-08:00tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28988898.post-735654826703280132008-05-19T10:37:39.250-04:00A recent episode of "60 Minutes" featured the women of the Democratic Republic of the Congo who live in constant fear of vicious rape by warring militias. It's difficult to imagine what they endure, but you can do something in response. Visit Women for Women International and learn more about this ongoing tragedy; then send a message of hope, or take another simple action on behalf of women <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BloggingOnPurpose/~4/OjcOCJpBqm0" height="1" width="1"/>0