When Rosa Parks decided she wasn’t going to give up her bus seat, she may not have had in mind kicking off a movement that would change life in America.
Herman Melville, writing the sentence “Call me Ishmael,” probably didn’t sit down to write “the novel of the century.”
Mother Teresa simply decided to care for one person at a time. She had no thought of becoming beatified by the Catholic Church.
We all have to find our own first small action.
One organization that is truly living this credo is Milaap. It’s a crowdlending platform that has raised more than $1.5 million, with a 98.48% repayment rate. They are celebrating their fourth anniversary with a 24-hour online conversation about sustainable giving.
Members of the site choose a project/borrower to support, and how much they wish to lend, and Milaap gives 100% of your loan funds to the borrower.
You then receive updates on the project via email, and get repaid. The funds can be reinvested in another micro-loan if you wish.
The concept is so simple. With each small loan, lives are changed. With each changed life comes promise and possibility for everyone touched by that life.
Reading through the available campaigns to support, you see families who can use a $100 loan to buy chickens to expand their chicken coops, to help abused women start their own businesses, or bring potable water to underserved areas. Each of these project groups are taking a single small action to improve their lives. The ripple effects over time will be enormous.
Maybe today you’re reading this post with a mountain sitting in front of you.
Is it a physical disability?
A financial hardship?
Do you have an enormous challenge at work?
A burning idea for a new business?
Whatever the mountain is, you can find a first step. Even if you’re moving it with teaspoons, you can make progress right now in this moment.
Maybe you can be inspired by Milaap and gather supporters to help you carry teaspoons.
Molly’s lovely post from this past Monday reminded us that we can’t do it alone. That’s even more true when the mountain looms large.
If you’d like to learn more about Milaap and the work they’re doing, visit their site at Milaap.org.
If you’d like to get help and support from your fellow teaspoon carriers, let us know in the comments. Let’s take the first action together.
Thanks for the inspirational post – and of course it humbled me just a little. Made me think that it’s not all that bad after all. (sigh). Its nice to do what Anthony Robbins says an make connections, even if its just a connection to the world around us and the good over the bad. Thanks again.
Thank YOU for sharing your thoughts Stephen. We all need to remember those connections because they’ll help us get through anything!