No matter what we do, what we do matters...

At the tail end of 2017, I was feeling discouraged. Every day the news both in the world and in and around my community made me feel bewildered and hopeless about how to make a difference.

I started to wonder how we were going to collectively rise up and feel like things were getting better. I was keenly aware that the people in power in the world; the politicians, the celebrities, the professional athletes, the movers and shakers, all had a tremendous power and voice. And quite frankly, a lot of them were not impressing me.

The odds of being in a position of that much influence are truly one in a million. But what I started to think about were the millions of people who were facing their lives each day, and in ways great and small, were making a contribution. I started to think about my own world, and how many people I knew in my community that I valued. My hairdresser, my neighbor who is a clinical therapist, a yoga teacher who is passionate about teaching yoga to kids. Each of these individuals, these one of a million people, all taken together collectively weave a beautiful tapestry of good and change. So I set out in 2018 to document people who are inspiring me in this way. 

This project is a celebration of the people who lead, teach, influence, and make an impact on the world just by showing up. It is a collective of how I see the people around me. Here in my town, we are a community of souls. The sum greater than the parts. And yet each part offers up something great in and of itself. We are not famous. We are not world leaders or needle-movers. We are not people of immense power and influence on global policy, the economy, or society at large. And yet, we get up each day and face our families, our jobs, and our lives. And by doing that, we make an impact. Sometimes without even realizing it.

In these fast-moving and stressful times, I am anchored by those around me. Buoyed up by their light and their goodness. My community is such a treasure. A collection of beautiful souls. These are just the people I know. I am just one person. Can you imagine how many communities out there are like mine? Can you imagine how many individuals are touched simultaneously by so many other lives? Can you see how it’s all connected? How it’s all going to be okay? I can.