The Hummingbird Story

Those of us who truly believe that Together We Can Change The World know that every little effort can have huge positive effects. Like a snowball rolling down the hill, our positive act becomes larger and larger and larger.

Most of the time, we want our good works to be the catalyst for positive change. Sometimes, though, the result is not exactly what we anticipate.

Here’s a story about not giving up hope, as it is frequently told by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai from Kenya.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, and maybe not even so far away from where you live now, there lived many animals in a deep, green forest. And they lived in relative harmony, except when one animal was eaten by another animal as sometimes happens in a deep, green forest. But that was appreciated as the story of life and death. And the continuation of life. And in the cycle of things, as they are and as they are meant to be, there was equanimity and peace...

Until one day, a fire raged and raged in the deep, green forest. And all the animals gave chase or took flight to try and save themselves from the inferno. While running away they felt huge despair at the thought of what they were leaving behind... their only home.

When they reached a safe distance some of the animals stopped to look at the raging fire, and noticed a small spot of red in the blue sky, circling back and forth, from a clear, cool lake to the blazing, burning forest... What was it? It was the red-throated hummingbird. And in her beak she ferried a few small drops of water to try to stop the fire. She flew back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth again.

The animals below looked up in amazement. The lion looked up, the elephant, the badger and the bear. They all looked up at the red-throated hummingbird in disbelief.

And the lion roared: "Red-throated hummingbird, what do you think YOU are doing up there with your one drop of water?"

Undeterred by the impossibility of it all, the little hummingbird said: "I am doing what I can."

The Hummingbird Story means NEVER GIVE UP. Any effort to help is an effort worth making. Your work might not solve the problem, but you will inspire others with hope, which is sometimes the best gift of all.

As we plan our projects for the next Together We Can Change The World Day, think about that little hummingbird carrying its precious drops of water, and imagine of all the ways in which we can help change the world by setting an example to others.

Giving 'Til It Feels Good

We've all heard the expression, "give 'til it hurts," but we at Together We Can Change The World prefer the idea of "giving until it feels good." Really good! Give as a way to spread your love and your joy. Give as a way to say thanks to the Universe. Give as a way to celebrate the fact that we are alive!

When giving is seen as a privilege and not a sacrifice, amazing things happen.

This story of Tess and the Big Truck is a great example of giving until it feels really good. Tess was finally ready to let her big truck go. 1980 Chevy Scottsdale, 454 Big Block with 1 Ton Chassis/Brakes. In the spirit of the true Give-Away in the Native American tradition, and in conjunction with T-Day, Tess gave away her truck to someone who really needed it. She didn't sell it; she gave it. In fact, she even had some repairs done on the truck so it was in tip-top shape before she gave it away.

Tess is well-known to everyone who participated in the World Changer Reality Bootcamp because she took the time to respond to everyone's blogs with such encouragement and sincerity, day in and day out. Tess is also well known to members who have called in on the MPM Chat Line for her kind and gentle demeanor.

Now she will be well known as the person who gave away her truck! When the truck's recipient sent Tess a card and goodie gift basket as a thank-you, Tess reflected:

"My friend's sentiments in the card seemed very much attuned to the spirit of T-Day, and though I'd mentioned to her briefly about the truck being a T-Day Give-Away and of our last T-Day experiences, I was still surprised a card was found that embodies its energy. The card says, 'Let us be GRATEFUL to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls BLOSSOM. Thank you, dear Friend.'

"I share this because of the beautiful exchange of giving and receiving. To some, my old Big Truck is just that. Old and big. But, to my friend, it's like a bit o'gold. My friend wrote, 'My heart is overflowing with your generosity of giving us your wonderful, beautiful truck! Our little plot of land is as close as I'm going to get to living on a farm. The truck will help me live my dream! I hope that you will . . . take some joy rides with me for bales of straw, chicken feed, loads of dirt, lumber, etc., etc., etc.'"You can bet on it ;-).

"Through giving, we receive on many levels; through receiving we receive on many levels. In this story, my give-away came full circle and the giving came back to me in an unexpected and lovely way. In essence, we became a T-Day project for our friend, and she brought us bounty from the land, and little chocolate, too!"How wonderful it is when we are able to give and receive with equal amounts of joy and appreciation for the gift (s) exchanged between each other, no matter how big or how small they 'seem' to be."

Thanks, Tess, and thanks to all of you who believe that you can't outgive the Universe!

Give the Gift that Keeps On Giving!

Together We Can Change The World Day is the first Saturday of every month, and one of the most exciting things about T-Day is the way it brings people together. There is probably no better way to make a connection with others than through joining together and working on behalf of a good cause.

If you have already participated in T-Day projects, have you noticed the way people get a big smile on their faces when they hear about it? Have you noticed how often people say “Wow--that’s really a cool idea!” Well, yes, as someone who has made a deep commitment to the idea of Together We Can Change The World, your job and my job is to let our friends and neighbors and coworkers and families know that we don’t care whether a project seems to be large or small, its impact is ALWAYS world changing.

A small kindness, like chauffeuring around the neighbor’s kids for a day so the parents can get some “alone time” can cause a ripple effect in the lives of the parents, the children, and you because it can gives everyone a chance to get out of their normal rhythms and do things a bit differently for at least one day.

By the same token, organizing a large project will have far-reaching effects on large groups of people: your fellow volunteers, non-profit agency staff members, clients, and communities.

Large or small, public or private, a T-Day project is a way for us to spread our wings and touch the hearts of others. The exact type of project is really not important. What IS important, is that you find something that makes you happy and speaks to your soul. Know that others, your Together We Can Change The World “family” of like-minded people all over the world, are working with you, shoulder to shoulder. The results will be transformational.

Nearly every time someone tells us about their T-Day project, they talk about a new friendship made, a new relationship forged, or even a new networking opportunity found.

One T-day project focused on building up the food supplies in a local food pantry and brought together an accountant with a brand-new business client. Another project brought together a domestic violence shelter staff member with a volunteer who just happens to work at a paper cup factory and has access cups that are rejected from the production line. The cups might not be perfectly pretty, but they perfectly useful for the shelter to use now that donation arrangements have been made!

The stories go on and on, and the joys of volunteering for T-Day on the first Saturday of every month make T-Day the gift that keeps on giving. Open your heart and let your ideas soar!

Please go to our website http://www.togetherwecanchangetheworldday.com/ to check out project ideas, and register your own T-day project for May 2.