At home, you can start by teaching your kids good values. You can also teach them how to throw their trash away properly. If you have a partner in this endeavor like Evergreen Junk Company, you need to show your kids why the company is of huge help.
In your community, you can look for organizations that need manpower, like packing relief goods or cooking for a soup kitchen. Volunteering is an act of altruism.
The problem is that you might be doing the right thing for the wrong reason. If you want to do kind deeds, you have to be sincere about it.
Understand the value of what you’re doing
When you want to help others, you need to do so because you understand their needs. You know that your actions will help them solve their problems or change their current reality. Don’t just do things for the sake of doing them.
Don’t do anything because of coercion
It’s a good thing if you have friends encouraging you to help out. However, if you do something after being coerced, it’s not good. You won’t enjoy what you’re doing. You might not even produce the expected results. Find something that you will enjoy doing.
Don’t ask for anything in return
It’s easy for you to do an act of kindness if you know there’s something in store for you. For instance, if your boss asks you to do tasks in the office that are no longer a part of your job description, you won’t mind it. You know that there could be a reward later, like a job promotion or a salary bump. If you only think about such results as the motivation to do good things, it’s probably better that you do nothing at all.
Don’t brag about it
If you’re helping organizations promoting environmental protection, there’s no need to brag about it. There’s a difference between encouraging others to help out, and bragging that you’re doing the right thing. If you want to help so that you will have bragging rights, you’re only fooling yourself. People will see through your actions and realize that you’re not genuine in your efforts.
There’s nothing wrong with being altruistic if you’re sincere about what you’re doing. You understand the nature of your actions, and you know that something needs to happen, so you’re doing your best to help. You won’t even mind sacrificing your money or time because you believe in the cause. For environmental protection, there are many things that you can do, but you have to be sincere about them.