Crazy, outrageous and probably impossible ideas

Ok. I want to start a conversation that simply gets us all to throw onto the table ideas for making the world a better place. It can be ANYTHING. Don't think about limitations. Let's not worry about practicals right now. Let's just think outside of the box and put the ideas out there.

What could we do to make the world a better place?

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Replies to This Conversation

Permalink Reply by Deana on 5 August 2008 at 5:09am: are you talking, what can mosaic sheffield do to make the world a better place? or are you talking what can i do in my own space/environment to make it a better place?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sam Radford on 5 August 2008 at 9:05am: Both really! How can I make the world a better place and how can we make the world a better place.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Deana on 5 August 2008 at 6:44pm: Gandhi Quotes

There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.

In a gentle way, you can shake the world.

As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world... as in being able to remake ourselves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think it is just simple things we can do. Smile at people, look them in the eye, feed the hungry, share more, give more, take less.

Here, I would like to get involved with the families at Children's Hospital. I would like to find a way to help the parents who are in their with their children. The children are taken care of, and the parents sit in their child's room and wait. I'm working on ideas for how I can do something there. Things like making care packages with shampoo, soap, relaxing lotions, eye covers to help get some sleep in those rooms. These sorts of things could be in the rooms when admitted.

I would hope to have a group of people here that could offer a night out, one night a month to families with special needs children. Not to have their children dropped off as a babysitting service, but rather a time for families to be OUT somewhere without feeling the sting of people staring, or wondering if their child will make a scene. There are restaurants here that have been so good to us and have been understanding of Max and his special needs, that I'm sure would be happy to offer a night open for families with special needs, maybe with proceeds to the Children's Hospital.

I would like to have an organization that has answers for newly diagnosed children. How to live in the community with special needs. How to manage the "system". Something to give hope to those families that they are not alone, and that there are many services available for them, they just have to know where to look.

So...this..is MY world. These are MY dreams. These are the ideas I have to make the life I live a better one. But...my question is, how do I get others to see my dreams? How do I convince people who have never stepped into the world of special needs that there is indeed so much possibility to help some very alone people?

This is my local plan. My WORLD plan...start a tea shop...stock it full of books from around the world. To have local FOREIGN artists perform there, whether it is music or painting, or storytelling. To make it a retreat for people of all faiths and walks of life to come and find their center. With proceeds going to fund micro-loans to women around the world. To give women the power to start their own businesses...to be the ones saving their family from poverty. That's my WAAAY out there world plan.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sam Radford on 5 August 2008 at 10:38pm: Reading your comments set my heart racing. I love it when you don't just hear (read!) someone's dream but can actually feel it! I'm inspired.

I'm going to get Rachel to comment here re Children's Hospital as she's been doing an afternoon most months with the chaplaincy serving parents and kids. You may be able to share some ideas.

As to convincing people, I think the key is having something for them to get involved with. Invite people to join you with what you're actually doing. Expose people to opportunities to catch the vision, to feel and experience it.

It's always worth remembering that the only way you can ever even hope to start to get momentum is to take a first step!

Thanks for sharing!!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Deana on 5 August 2008 at 10:47pm: Indeed...Max's surgery is a week from today. I plan on snooping around while we're stuck in there to see what kinds of services they already have in place, and seeing about joining those, or asking to start something new.

Also with his therapies starting back up after surgery, I will have weekly encounters with parents again!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Gabriel on 6 August 2008 at 8:28am: Some great ideas there Deana,

You are defiantely an ideas person, I like the simple things that you mentioned like smiling and taking notice of people around you. I think that's very important being a 'fake' Londoner (living in Surrey).

I think changing attitudes and ways of acting is a hard thing however making an effort to change your attitude to positively infulence others can hopfully be a catalist for more positivity.

If we are there as a small community then doing a lot of the things people have planned will be a joy!

Still thinking of some ideas anyway...

ps Sam, I'm meeting Ellie and Rhiannon tonight, thanks for the readings I think we'll discuss them tonight!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Deana on 6 August 2008 at 8:41am: Hi Gabriel!

I'm a fake Londoner too...living across the pond though!

I ran across some Mother Teresa quotes today that I found to go along the lines of this discussion. I love the way she thought. It was all so simple to her, to simply love our neighbors. I think if we get back to that very basic idea, love your neighbor, the whole world would be a much more humane place to live!

Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.
Mother Teresa

Even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted, for having someone to call their own.
Mother Teresa

God doesn't require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.
Mother Teresa

I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?
Mother Teresa

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.
Mother Teresa

Jesus said love one another. He didn't say love the whole world.
Mother Teresa

Peace begins with a smile.
Mother Teresa; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sam Radford on 6 August 2008 at 8:42am: Just be careful with the smiling in London...you might get yourself killed!!

Let me know what you chat about re those articles...hopefully they'll trigger some great ideas!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rachel Radford on 6 August 2008 at 7:41pm: hey. This conversation is great. Gabriel, I'm excited for the stuff being catalised in London! And Deana, your passion is very contagious!

In the childrens hospital here, I've been helping with crafts for kids - often siblings of the kids on the wards- and giving parents a cup of tea and a chat with someone who's not a nurse or doctor. I've felt extremely privileged to be let into the lives of people who are dealing - amazingly- with cancer, long term conditions, surgery, bored siblings, grumpy kids... I think there's loads more that could be done. The stuff I'm involved with is run by the chaplaincy who work closely with the staff and playworkers.. The place I felt that my little hour of time made the most difference was doing activities with siblings at a memorial service for their brothers and sisters. And I got so so much from that time.

You are in a unique position Deana- you have shared experience which can help you to make a huge impact to families but also in recruiting and enthusing others to help. I'm sure there'll be people within the hospital who will love your ideas if you share them and sometimes that makes you find ways to really make it happen.

I'll think about what dreams I've got and write more!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Laura Francis on 13 August 2008 at 9:33am: deana, your idea is so inspiring. its really simple but would have a huge impact on people. i was chatting to ryan last night and he was saying he's been asking everyone he meets what they would do if someone gave them £10 million as it gives him an insight ibnto their priorities and things that are important to them. i was thinking about the secret millionaire and thought wouldn't it be cool to get a thousand pounds and go round finding out what someone would hyperthetically do with the money and then actually giving it to someone who inspired you with their idea.; ▶ Reply to This