Evaluate Your Surroundings, Then Take Action

Today’s Turning Point story is written by Dallisa Hocking, Director of Sustainability and Community at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Dallisa is on the Advisory Council for Communities in Schools and an officer for the Las Vegas Business Academy. In her spare time she enjoys cooking and traveling with her grandma Eloise.  

“Even when opportunity knocks, a man still has to get up off his seat and open the door.” – Anonymous

I’ve been an outgoing person since childhood – from taking center stage in my school performance of “Little Red Riding Hood” to convincing neighbors why buying rocks was a good investment. As I grew into my teen years, I took my talents and targeted them towards the greater good of my community.

How can you take your energy and create change? Simply stated: Evaluate your surroundings and then take action. In other words, look at the world around you and determine what could use some extra care and attention.

Putting this theory into practice started in high school – I kept hearing about the dangers of cigarette smoking. For me, not smoking myself wasn’t enough. I began going to elementary schools and teaching children the dangers associated with cigarettes. Then a few years later in college, people I knew were affected by date rape drugs. So, I put my voice to good use and began facilitating sessions in college classrooms about the warning signs and signals to watch for. And, about four years ago, my brother was a Marine stationed in Iraq. Through our regular communication, he told me that many of his fellow soldiers didn’t receive packages and letters from home, and again I knew something had to be done. At work, I started a program called “Operation Camo Care,” rallied employees and created hundreds of care packages that were shipped to soldiers around the world.

These are a few of the ways I’ve taken inventory and then taken action. It doesn’t always have to be a grand gesture that helps many. It could be a small act of kindness that changes the life of one person, even if it is just for a moment.

So, keep your eyes open to the possibility of today and what you can contribute to the greater good. You may be surprised to see how far your good deed will go.