Lifestyle Stories

Are you looking for profiles from the worlds of sports, fashion, movies, travel? In this section we will cover pro-social actions happening in a wide variety of Lifestyle areas. Included will be resources for living a more sustainable and valuable life thru the choices we make in our purchases, lifestyle and entertainment. See the Home and Garden Lifestyle Resources page in the Make (it) Happen Section for an example. We will be filling each section with useful links, reviews and resources in the very near future.

Our national trends expert has pinpointed below for us some exciting shifts as it applies to giving in these new economic times. This section will help us tap into how these changes will manifest themselves in the marketplace and in the world of pro-social action and connection in all areas of our lives. Join us to learn more as we move ahead.

We are looking for contributing editors for each lifestyle section. If you are a writer and have a particular interest and your ear to the ground in any of these categories, let's talk! Feel free to contact us at content@itmagazine.net to learn more about how you can help contribute to the value of this content for our readers.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

WHEN "DOING GOOD" COLLIDES WITH "GETTING BY"
From National Trends Expert Charles Kennedy of DYG, Inc.

Tougher economic times will transform pro-social behavior in some unexpected positive ways. The following shifts are likely to occur:

- From a few giving much, to the many giving what they can. While the overall amount of money donated to charity may drop, the level of participation in giving may rise. A perfect example of this phenomenon can be seen the fund-raising dynamic of the Obama campaign, which is fueled by millions of small donations rather than just a few donations by millionaires.

- From giving out of guilt to giving out of empathy. Tougher times means more can relate to what it is like to get by on less.

- From giving our money to giving our time. We may not be able to write the big check, but we are able to lend a hand, put in some hours as a volunteer, and offer our expertise to an organization.

- From building our monetary capital to re-building our social capital. Our 401K may not be growing, but now will be the time to build up our social capital of trust, community, connections and support.