Do Your Little Bit of Good—Desmond Tutu’s Timeless Wisdom
Do a little Bit of Good. When I recently came across this inspirational quote from Desmond Tutu about doing good, I found it very fitting, even inspiring, for our current times. Tutu said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” One could even say doing a little bit of good where we are is a way of overcoming challenges, right here, right now.
The wheel of the year keeps turning, bringing with it all manner of startling events. August 1st, one of the Cross Quarter days, called Lughnasadh in the Celtic calendar, is just around the corner. Also called Lammas, the 1st of August is considered the beginning of the grain harvest season, and traditionally noted with various festivals, games, feasts, celebrating the abundance, the colours, the grains, the fruits, the blooming, the ease of plucking and enjoying earth’s bounty… Oh My!
Hope Amidst Global Uncertainty
In addition to celebrating the season, likely you are, as I am, having significant challenges with events in our world. In the last few weeks, though, and as a progressive voter and activist, it is such a relief not to feel paralyzed and viscerally concerned much of the time but energized and encouraged, and I feel like we might be in a better position for overcoming challenges, in our own and the larger world now.
Do a Little Bit of Good: A Theme for These Transformative Times
No doubt we are living in a time of unstoppable change in so many areas. One empowering option is to see this as an amazing time to be alive, to be able to be part of this transition, and to be a force for positive action, the theme for this post is :Do a little bit of good!
I have written about focussing on, Opening to the Good , and about Good Vibrations, but when I came across Tutu’s version, it really lit up my day and was an encouraging and empowering reminder in the face of challenges.
It’s not a new idea, of course, and here are a few other inspirational quotes I quite like:
• An elder friend said, “When things go wrong, do right. Every right action counts, no matter how small.”
• I love the Hummingbird Parable about what we can do for the earth. “I will be a hummingbird!”
• Bill Widener sums up one’s duty in life: “Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.”
Do a Little Bit of Good: A Theme for These Transformative Times
In closing, here is an exercise from the ToDo Institute for Japanese Psychology, which helps us put these words into action. It’s a simple yet transformational practice.
“Ask someone you know what you can do for them today. The purpose of this exercise is to make someone’s day a little more manageable or enjoyable or satisfying. Just something small and simple would be great. Maybe you could call a neighbor to see if you can pick something up for them at the food store if you’ll be headed that way. If we all extended ourselves just a tiny bit, we would create an infusion of goodwill in the world today. We could use it, don’t you think? Even if the gestures are minor, the offer itself carries a lot of weight.”
Let this be our theme for this opulent season of abundance: in addition to appreciating our richness and gifts, inner and outer, and and never taking our blessings for granted, let us do a little bit of good where and when we can. (It’s OK to do a lot of good too :-)!)
Lammas blessings, warm greetings, health and well-being,
Jill
Interested in this theme? See also Tara Brach’s book, Trusting the Gold: Why Recognizing Our Human Goodness May Be the Most Radical Act We Can Take.
And here’s a video to lighten your day:
Sometimes a little help goes a long way.
Jill Schroder is the author of BECOMING: Journeying Toward Authenticity. BECOMING is an invitation for self-reflection and to mine our memorable moments for insights, meaning, and growth. Check the website for a sample chapter, or see the reviews to get a flavor for the volume. Your feedback, forwards, tweets, and likes are most welcome. 
Read this one: Are We Having Fun Yet?
