IGNITE March 2022

Believing in the power of one

Your actions have a rippling effect to others

When I talk to people about changing their neighborhoods, a common theme that I hear people say is “I am just one person. What can I do?” It is as if they cannot see how much influence they really have. The truth is most people ask that question, can one person really make a difference? When we look around the world today, or even around our circle of influence, we see so many things that need to be changed. People need help. Communities need hope. It seems impossible, doesn’t it? But what if it wasn’t?

Most people doubt if they are making an impact because meaningful and effective change is not always instant. Making the world, the community, and even our neighborhood a better place sometimes takes months or even years. The truth is that making the world a better place often means improving it for a few people at a time, but it has a rippling effect and can impact generations.

Here’s an exercise for you. Close your eyes for a moment and think about all the people who had a major impact on your life. A friend, family member, co-worker, even a stranger. The list goes on and on. But you have also impacted people greatly. The friend who needed a hug. The co-worker who needed a listening ear. The drive-thru order you paid for. All it took was you and that moment. You had an impact! You have no idea how many people you have and can influence today.

But in case you need some guidelines or a place to start, here are a few tips:

■ Don’t start globally. Start where you live

■ Start somewhere. Do something to give back to your community.

■ Stand up for causes you care about.

■ Do random acts of kindness throughout the day.

■ Find like-minded people who are committed to the same cause.

■ Don’t overthink it and don’t work yourself to exhaustion.

If you are looking for an organization that can help you transform where you live, Great Neighborhoods is a great place to start. Great Neighborhoods is a grassroots program available to help residents understand their neighborhoods and what they have to offer. We transform neighborhoods into what the residents want. Together, we co-create action plans with our neighborhoods, and help connect all the dots and utilize networks and resources to move projects forward.

Connect and get involved with Great Neighborhoods to impact the neighborhoods around you by emailing cira@transformrockford.org. You can also visit https://greatneighborhoods.info and link to the Facebook and Instagram accounts too.

Cira Richardson is program director, Great Neighborhoods, Transform Rockford and a member of IGNITE.

The views expressed are those of Richardson’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.