52 Weeks of Neighboring - 8/13

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Tip of the Week – Reflect on the neighboring experiments you’ve tried during the last six months. Journal your thoughts or share them in a conversation with a friend.

The point of reflecting is that if we only do something once and never think about it again, it is less likely to stick. By reflecting on our neighboring experiences we not only have a better chance of doing them again, but also we have a chance to explore why some of them failed. Keeping in mind that we are free to fail, as we look at what worked and what didn’t we will also have a chance to learn more about ourselves.

Step 1: Look back over the neighboring tips:

  1. Double your favorite recipe and share extra with a neighbor.
  2. Write down your name and three ways you are willing to help on notes you deliver to all neighbors.
  3. Ask a neighbor to help you with a spring cleaning project.
  4. Take your dog for a walk or ask a neighbor who walks about their dog.
  5. Send a thank you card to your City Councilperson.
  6. Host a sporting event watch party.
  7. Borrow something (ex. a tool or a cake pan) from a neighbor.
  8. Plant a garden in the FRONT yard.
  9. Take a walk in your neighborhood and collect trash.
  10. Make an intentional space on your calendar to be present to your neighbors.
  11. Do research on “Little Free Libraries,” look for one near you, or start your own.
  12. Send a thank-you card to the neighbor you borrowed something from last month.
  13. Deliver a May Day Basket to your neighbors.
  14. Have a spring block party.
  15. Develop your own love for your neighborhood by writing down 3 things each day that you like about your neighborhood.
  16. Do a yard sale and learn a story from each neighbor who comes.
  17. Share produce or flowers from your garden, or ask a neighbor to share with you.
  18. Bake cookies and deliver them to your local police station.
  19. Host Flamingo Friday on your block or in your apartment complex.
  20. Use sidewalk chalk to draw a fireworks scene on your sidewalk.
  21. Mow someone’s yard or ask a neighbor to mow yours and learn something new about them.
  22. Host (or co-host) a front yard BBQ.
  23. Pay attention for negative talk or gossip amongst neighbors and seek ways to offer positive stories about that neighbor and redirect the conversation.
  24. Work on an outside project, like washing your car, and allow time to have a conversation with a neighbor or someone walking by.
  25. Cook a recipe for which you are missing an ingredient and ask a neighbor for the missing item.

Step Two: Reflect

  • What neighboring experiment was your favorite and why?
  • Was there one practice you really failed at? Even if you just failed to even attempt the practice, that counts. What might that failure teach you about yourself?
  • As you look over the list, are there 1 or 2 tips that would be beneficial to do again or try now that you may be more comfortable with your neighbors?

Happy reflecting!