This theme was inspired by Liz, who reminded me of my mini series of Instagram posts that I created while I was in Europe earlier this year. Instead of taking normal selfies in front of touristy sights and trying to get one that looked ~perfect~, I decided to take selfies of just my eyes looking into the camera in awe of what’s around/behind me. It started off as one silly picture, but it made my friends and me laugh, and someone even told me they looked forward to those posts, so I kept it going… and now there’s a whole section of my Instagram with just pictures of my eyes.

I love being goofy and making silly things, as it keeps my mood and the energy of those around me from getting too low. But even if you don’t think you’re the slightest bit funny, you’re in luck because the internet (usually) is! So this week, if you stumble upon something that makes you chuckle or even smile, share it with your friends, your family, your coworkers — you never know, it could lift some spirits and help cheer up someone who’s having a bad day.

The post Make ‘Em Laugh appeared first on Software for Good.

You don’t need to be a expert to get started as a contributor. A core tenet to improving OSS is people trying things out, asking questions, and opening issues. And there are many platforms created to facilitate this, like Stack Overflow, Discourse, Github, and Bitbucket, to name a few.

So this week, along with your Instagram memes and Facebook statuses, try posting to an OSS project, and help drive the community towards more solid, safe, and accessible software.

The post Be a Good OSS Citizen appeared first on Software for Good.

This week, look back and reconnect with the person you were. If you don’t like the person you used to be, why is that? What things did you change about your life to become the person you are now?

Even if you’re OK with who you were all along, chances are you’ve evolved. Reflect on your past personas, the positives of each, and how you became the person you are today.

The post Connect With Your Past Self appeared first on Software for Good.

Ever since I was little, birthdays were like a national holiday. We got to do whatever we wanted, throw a party, have a nice dinner, get a cool gift, etc. However, as I’ve gotten older, birthdays mean something a little different. They are another chance to look back and reflect, and then to look ahead and to re-evaluate your goals and make some new ones.

Birthdays are meant to be celebrated! If you weren’t getting older, you’d be dead, ya know. There will always be things that you didn’t accomplish. Maybe you didn’t lose those last 5 pounds, but use this personal occasion to celebrate restart. Sometimes when we set goals, we forget to re-evaluate, check in, and restructure. But that’s okay, sometimes you just need a reminder, and what better reminder than you completing another trip around the sun?!

Bonus, if you’re lucky like me to have a birthday towards the end of the year, the gym won’t be so busy when you go in tomorrow.

The post The Other New Year’s Day appeared first on Software for Good.

Take a look at your weekend routines and mix them up a bit. Maybe bike a different path or take on a new landscaping project. I recently challenged myself to take on a large landscape project over the weekends. Not only am I saving money, but I am breaking up my routine, and I love it! I feel more fulfilled and feel like my precious weekend didn’t fly by so fast.

So, go out there and challenge your routine and you might be surprised at how wonderfully long your weekend becomes!

The post Happy Monday! appeared first on Software for Good.

Doing software development work, I often remind myself to take a step back and ask what need we are meeting. What is the actual problem we are solving? Does it need to be solved with a technical solution? Does it need to be solved with this technical solution?

When we get stuck-in on a particular path that seems dark and full of twisty little passages, it is sometimes useful to keep pushing forward one step at a time (preferably with the support of a great team!). But sometimes, it’s useful to take a big step back and look at the big picture for awhile. Are we answering the right question? Do we have the information we need to answer that question? Is there another way to answer the same question and meet the same need, or is there actually a need behind the stated need that could be met?

Sometimes a few hours of collaborating with a client to figure out what the need behind the need is, and some brainstorming about different ways it can be met, can save a few days or weeks of an unproductive development path.

The post Find the Actual Question appeared first on Software for Good.

One of the themes of the show is that doing good is hard. It’s an everyday challenge that requires sincere effort. It takes work to make responsible decisions about what you buy and consume, stand up and take risks for your principles, and be kind to others instead of just focusing on yourself. But it’s worth it to make life easier and happier for those with whom we share the planet.

As a company focused on doing good, we know it often takes extra work to operate ethically, seek out clients whose values we share, and think critically about the impact of the software we build. Doing good isn’t always easy. But of course, it’s worth it to be able to effect positive change.

The post Doing Good Is Hard (But Worth It) appeared first on Software for Good.

Right now, I got two kids. One’s less than a year old, the other’s almost three. They do weird stuff. Really weird. Usually it’s adorable, often it’s exhausting. It’s always ridiculous. It’s so ridiculous, I often hear myself say things out loud that make NO SENSE — unless you know I’m talking about my kids.

I’ve tried to make a habit of writing down some of the questions that I hear myself ask that I think are particularly funny out of context. Mostly as a way to make myself laugh, a coping mechanism to get through the hard parts. But also as a fun reminder of how drastically one’s life can change. I have very unique thoughts and feelings all day every day at this stage in my life, and in five years I will struggle to remember them.

I thought it would be fun to share some of the questions that arise, and I added the feeling I had at the time in parentheses, so you can have fun hollering these questions at no one in particular — just like I did!

1. Why is pretending to eat way more fun than eating? (exasperated, confused)

2. Why is she stuffing rice in her nose? How much did she already put in there? Maybe if we ignore it she’ll stop? But what if she really hurts herself? How do we get it out?  (I was whispering these to my wife, really confused, and a little anxious)

3. Why does she laugh harder when I get more angry? (resentful)

4. What happened to that big chunk of butter on the broccoli? She ate it? Did she like it? She’s still eating it! Is that gonna make her sick? Should we stop her? (first confused, than really grossed out, and finally a bit worried)

5. What’s so funny about the wrinkles in my forehead? (confused)

6. How are you not getting peed on? When was the last time you got peed on? I don’t get it. I get peed on every time. What am I doing wrong? (exasperated at like 3 a.m., and really, really angry)

7. Are you pooping right now? (matter-of-factly — I ask this question at least once a week)

8. What is more humiliating than cooking for over an hour, then placing the food you’re really proud of and excited to eat in front of your child, hoping that they’ll like it, and they immediately throw it on the floor? (I’m giving up)

9. Why is she naked? (almost panicked)

10. Clara, no. We don’t wash our hands with ketchup. (my wife said this as she dove between car seats)

The post Dad Questions appeared first on Software for Good.

I once had a friend in college who, upon realizing that he would be separated from a person for an extended period of time, would always say, “The universe will bring us back together.” It didn’t matter if they were to be separated for 2 days or 2 years. He always felt that events would align naturally somehow, and he would see that person again.

My friend said it just made more sense because the phrase doesn’t mean that their relationship is over forever. Whereas, “bye,” “maybe I’ll see you again,” or “goodbye until later” to some is considered forever.

“The universe will bring us back together” is a good phrase to use when you hope to see someone on good terms. I liked his positive outlook so I adopted it.

As I start the last week of my internship, I have realized that  I have learned so much personally and professionally. I don’t really think of my internship ending as a “moving on,” rather, as a “the universe aligning.”

I plan on going further, and I am super excited to see what comes next in my life. So, I hope your summer was as insightful and fun as mine. And I do hope that the universe will align to bring us back together.

The post The Universe Will Align appeared first on Software for Good.

Summer provides us with a renewed energy. We get to eat on patios without outdoor heaters, jump off of docks into thawed-out lakes, trade in our ice skates for rollerblades (but let’s be real, ice arenas are just as busy because this is still Minnesota), and we get to mow our lawns a few times before we have to pull out our snowblowers again. Being outside provides us with a number of benefits, physically and mentally. Studies have shown that the benefits to sunlight alone are huge, like:

• Increases your blood’s oxygen count

• Builds your immune system

• Aids with curing depression

• Can even help your kids grow (insane, right?)

So as the Minnesota summer winds down, and we transition from swimsuits to cardigans and then to winter coats, make sure you get outside. Hang out with your friends or family on the beach or in the park a few more times. Go to that place with the patio you’ve been thinking about for weeks. Go spend a weekend hiking and camping.

Go outside, see the sun, and let it give you the boost you need to transition into fall.

The post Sun’s Out, Get Out appeared first on Software for Good.