Do what you can, when you can.

Do what you can, when you can.

Just stop and think about that for a second.

There are many ways to give back in this world - through one's time, money, or talent - but we are not always in a place to give back in all ways.

A child cannot donate funds or expertise, but they can give of their time and share a warm smile. A full-time professional raising kids may have no time or extra money to donate, but can share their experience.

The idea of giving "what we can, when we can" recognizes that life is a journey with ups and downs ... and frankly, this approach provides much-needed grace to ourselves and others.

If we recognize what we are able to give of ourselves, we can celebrate that we are able to give back - even if just a little - rather than feeling like we're never enough. Being productive all of the time is not practical, and it is an idea that tortures us.

This philosophy of giving when we can provides us the grace to give back when we are able to, but to pull back and give to ourselves when needed.

Whatever your cause, if you do what you can, when you can, it becomes a part of something greater.

Do you remember when someone's small gesture made a big difference in your day? Or perhaps when you did something to brighten another person's day, or lessen your impact on the world?

One of my passions is around trying to lessen my environmental footprint. I make small gestures to this end ... I bring a bamboo set of silverware with me so I don't need to use plastic, disposable silverware when I'm out. For the same reason, I carry a cloth napkin, so I can refuse the disposable kind. I don't buy paper towels or napkins.

Recently a friend asked me if I thought all of those small actions actually made a difference. My answer: absolutely.

Think about swapping an apple for a donut each morning, would that make a difference? Sure, it's only one choice in your day, but do you think at the end of the year, you might see some changes because of that swap? Turns out that you save 100 calories a morning through that swap, which means you'd save 36,500 calories in a year just from that small change ... the equivalent of more than 10 pounds.

So, does using a single cloth napkin make a difference? If I typically use two napkins a day, by using a cloth napkin instead, I save 730 napkins from going to the landfill each year.

Bringing a thermos to my favorite coffee shop - or asking for coffee "for here" (which nearly all stores offer, Starbucks included) - saves me from personally putting more than 100 cups and sleeves in the landfill each year ... considering I hit up Starbucks 1-2 times per week.

Considering it’s not unheard of to grab one coffee-to-go daily - think about 365 cups going into the landfill because of one person. Starbucks alone uses 2.3 billion paper cups a year, according to Business Insider.

Whatever you're interested in changing in this world - think about each day as an opportunity to make small changes that add up.

Changing the world isn't something that one person does - it is the sum of all parts. It is each one of us making small alterations to our lives that add up in a big way.

You may have days, weeks, months where your life isn't going well - where you don't have much money, time, or energy to give ... and that's ok.

But if you do what you can, when you can, there's nothing more anyone can ask of you.

Doing what you can is not about money - it's not about perfection either. It's about making a choice.

To make your time in this world beneficial.

To see the beauty around you, to honor and act on what is good.

To make intentional effort.

To do what you can, when you can.

2017. Let's make it ace.

Ace.

adjective: ace
1. very good.

synonyms: excellent, first-rate, first-class, marvelous, wonderful, magnificent, outstanding, superlative, formidable, virtuoso, masterly, expert, champion, consummate, skillful, adept;

antonyms: mediocre

Last week, to round out 2016, I had a physic reading. During the reading "Ace" cards surfaced several times, and I learned that the Ace card symbolizes new beginnings. It's certainly a pretty fitting card for me as I complete a year of personal transitions; yet, I got to thinking that could be pretty fitting for 2017 as a whole. 

The antonym of ace is mediocre. Mediocre is a word that has synonyms such as indifferent and amateurish. Perhaps mediocracy sums up 2016 more perfectly than I even originally imagined. 

So let's make 2017 the opposite of mediocre. Let's make it ace. 

If we see 2017 as a time for new beginnings, we focus on opportunity and not on challenges. 

The years ahead will not all be ace. In fact, there will likely be many things that happen in 2017 - and beyond - that are far from it. 

There are many things we cannot control, but there are many things we can control.

Focusing on what is negative somehow creates more negativity. Focusing on the positive creates more positivity. There is always bad, there is always good ... and there is always perspective. 

So, what if we all do everything we can to make 2017 an ace year?

What if we all stood up for something we care about? 

What if we opened our hearts and shared something that we care about with others?

What if we all heard one another, truly listened, and considered diverse ideas respectfully?

What if we chose love over hate, understanding over ignorance, action over indifference?

What if we decided to create new beginnings in every way that we could?

How we spend our days is how we live our lives. 

Decide to make every - or any - aspect of life you can control intentional and positive. 

Decide to make 2017 ... Ace.