When bad things happen in the world, there is an intense feeling of helplessness. If you have ADHD, images from TV and words from articles you read stick with you for days.

You sit helplessly with an overpowering feeling of discomfort. You go about your day; preparing meals, going to work, taking care of children, running errands, but there’s a black cloud that follows you everywhere you do. How could people be so evil? How could anyone do something so horrendous? What is wrong with the world?

Drowning in sadness, you think there is nothing you can do. But, you can do something.

You can take an action that will make the world a better place. I’m not talking about becoming an activist, lobbying in the government, or starting a foundation; there is something you can do this very minute…

Practice compassion. Pause before you speak. Be kind. Reach out. Spread love.

 I was living in Miami when Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992. Rooftops were shredded. Windows were missing from houses and stores. Traffic lights were dangling in the middle of intersections. Downed trees made streets impassable. We were without electricity in swamp-like 98-degree heat for three weeks. Nights without lights were dark and eery. There was no water (except the few bottles you bought before the storm hit) for drinking, cleaning, and personal hygiene. We needed water to flush the toilets. The National Guard drove tanks through our neighborhoods. It felt like and looked like we were in the middle of a war zone.

These events were happening to us. We didn’t read about it in the paper while drinking our morning coffee or at the office. The devastation was real; in our homes, streets, and city.

But in the darkness, there was a bright light shining through the torn rooftops, crumbled trees, and darkness. People were the light. People who came together to give, help, and love each other. Strangers were reaching out to help a person they didn’t know. Sharing their limited dry ice to keep their food from decaying and people getting out of their cars to direct traffic at an unlit intersection.

The trees were still blocking the road. The traffic lights were dangling for weeks. The nights were dark and steamy; but neighbors, strangers, men, women and children came together to give, share, and help each other.

That’s what love is. That’s what got us through the darkness.

That’s what brings the world together. That’s what we have to practice doing every day.

LIfe is hard. The world is in turmoil. The least we can is to try to bring a little peace into our families, our homes, and at work.

Let’s be more loving. Right now, start by saying something nice to someone you love. Give a compliment. Reach out to someone in need. Donate your time to those less fortunate. Call someone and brighten their day. Just smile, it’s that simple.

TODAY: WHAT CAN YOU DO RIGHT NOW TO REACH OUT TO SOMEONE IN NEED? Call your Grandma. Tell your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife how much you appreciate them. Be nice. Just for today. Do it right now.