Let's be real here.
I'm not a very spiritual person.
I go to church because I think it is good for the community and my kids.
It's good to learn right and wrong, to always be working towards something, and being part of something larger than yourself.
What I do believe in is helping other people.
I am kind of an A-hole sometimes. If you're reading this blog, you're probably a little bit of an A-hole too since only A-holes find this entertaining. :)
That's why I think it's so important that I go out of my way to help people. Not all the time though. Like once a week max.
I believe in balance. And to balance my A-hole-ness, I go out of my way to spread a little love.
I believe God made us and wants us to do more good in the universe than bad.
I want my kids to be gracious and know how lucky and spoiled they are.
I want them to enjoy and know the importance of giving.
I want them to feel good about themselves when they help.
I want them to realize an entire world exists outside of themselves.
And I want them to know that even though I'm kind of a freak, I can also be nice... sometimes.
I think life is so hectic sometimes we feel like we can't help anyone even though when actually we are.
This video illustrates this perfectly.
So, every woman should watch this. Even if your not parenting small children, even if don't go to church, and even if you feel like watching the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills instead.
Some ways you can practice not being a jerk:
Take your Grandma, Grandpa, or any other person, who likes Taco Bell to lunch.
Write to a prisoner at your local prison, become pen pals, send him money so he can buy cigarettes.
Make cupcakes for someone then let your kids lick the batter off your counter.
Volunteer at your church. We just helped clean our meetinghouse last week! Get there early though so you don't have to clean the bathrooms. If you do get stuck cleaning the bathrooms, quit that church.
Make Dinner for a family going through a hard time. (or if you are like me, go to the grocery store and buy pre-made food then pretend like you made it even though it's in the store's packaging.)
Hand out Sunscreen to homeless people. I used to make those trendy hygiene kits for Ryan to pass out but then I read this blog, The Survival Guide to Homelessness, and figured sunscreen is pretty important if you are outside most of the time. Homeless people get wrinkles too you guys.
Play with your kids. Like, get on the floor, grab a dinosaur, roar, and attack them. They will love it.
My spirit animal Christie had a really cute idea she put on her inappropriate blog. Make cards with your kids and hand them out at an old folks home.
Have your kids donate the toys they don't play with anymore to charity.
Donate books and kids craft stuff to a children's hospital. Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City love this crap. You can just drop it off at the front desk.
Send a picture message to someone of yourself smiling super cute, like my brother Jake did for me. His adorable face brightens my day and restores my faith in humanity.
When someone cuts you off in traffic, try to not flip them off or use the eff word.
When you see someone and think something nice about them, tell them.
I would think of some more stuff you could do but Ryan just yelled, "MOOOOOOMMMM! CAN YOU COME WIPE MY BUTT????"
And yes, I count wiping butts as helping others.
