Introducing a New Collaborative Project: Small Ways to Make a Big Difference
Exactly three weeks ago, I started working on a collaborative project that had no name. I sent out dozens of emails requesting participation and quickly realized that I needed some way of organizing the emails so they wouldn’t get lost. So, I created a tag in Gmail for this project and I named it with the first thing that came to mind: “Change the World”.
Every time someone replied to an email for the project, the “Change the World” tag in my Gmail account lit up and it put a smile on my face.
Every time I got an contribution, it reminded me why I was doing this project. It reminded me that there are so many people all over the globe who genuinely care about this world and who have ideas for how to make it a better place.
In just three weeks, over 40 bloggers contributed more than 100 ways to live more sustainable, to live happier and healthier, to get more out of life, to inspire and share, to reconnect with our true selves, to be a leader, to exist more intelligently.
More than 100 ways that you can begin setting an example to be the change you wish to see in the world. More than 100 ways to make a difference in the world right now.
Please visit the page for Small Ways to Make a Big Difference to download the PDF ebook and share it with the world.
It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to organize this book. The quality and quantity of contributions surpassed everything I could have hoped for and the real authors of this book are the contributors themselves.
It’s my hope that you will find as much value in this ebook as I found while preparing it. This ebook is free and will forever remain that way. All of the content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License, which means you can do with it as you like so long as you don’t make money from it or pass it off as your own work.
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If you’ve been reading this blog for the past few weeks, you’ve heard how traveling through India, Vietnam, and Nepal has transformed my sense of purpose. This project is my first step on that new path; my first step towards helping empower people be the change they wish to see in the world.
With the release of this project I’m also launching a newsletter and I invite you to join our community of passionate changemakers and share your thoughts, your wisdom, your insights, and your perspective. But most of all, I invite you to take this ebook and start setting an example for others to follow.
Mohammed Ali said, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” This ebook is my first payment on an account that is long overdue. I look forward to the journey ahead and to sharing every step along the way with you.
I am delighted for you that you followed your feeling and got this book together so quickly. Quick action can be very powerful.
Best of Success,
David
Hi Raam,
I am back again. I just read your book. There are lots of wonderful ideas people have shared in it.
I wish I knew you were working on a project like this since I just launched a site on organic foods and your readers may be interested in it.
buyorganicfoodinexpensively.com/
The seed of this site and the e-book came from personal experience when my family and I still found a way to be able to afford to eat organic food when we were unemployed and living off welfare (social assistance) for a period of seven months.
Everything is possible. When there is a will there is a way.
Continued Success,
David
Thanks for sharing the link, David!
The cost of organic food is definitely something that prevents a lot of people from choosing it, but like you said, it comes down to priorities.
Our own health and the health of our environment should not be pushed aside. If we do our research and spend time finding a way, we’ll find a way!
Be sure to jump on the email list to stay updated about future projects!
Hi Raam,
It came out fantastic! The advice given in the ebook by so many people can make a huge difference and there’s enough of a variety to fit anyone. Anyone can make small changes in their lives that can have a big difference not only for them, but for each one of us which is impacted.
Thanks so much for allowing me to contribute and be a part of this.
Karen
You’re most welcome, Karen! Thank you for helping make this ebook possible!
The diversity of wisdom between all the contributors is incredible and I really think there is something here for everyone. :)
So happy to have been a part of this and so amazing that you created this – yes we created this :) – in the span of 3 weeks. You give urgency a new meaning, Raam! :)
And I’m so happy you contributed, Farnoosh! :)
Three weeks was rather fast, but in retrospect it felt more like three months for me! It’s really incredible how much energy and focus you discover when you’re passionate about something and doing what you love!
Raam,
You did a fabulous job, and so fast too.
I can already feel the ripples of good this is making in the Universe!
I’m so happy to have been a part of this most worthy project.
Thank you, Angela! I’m so happy you were part of this project too! I can feel the positive vibes spreading already (and I think my server is feeling it too!). :)
Congratulation Raam, on the launch of your e-book. The content is timeless and the layout makes it digestible.
Excellent job done.
Thanks Abubakar! :)
Raam,
I am moved by what you have accomplished. Yes, many contributed AND it was your passion and commitment that called us all to action and pulled it together with such velocity.
My hope is that today is the first of many days that Smalll Ways to Make a Big Difference travels around the world.
Sandi
Sandi, thank you so much! I hope to do many more projects like this one — more projects that bring together the collective wisdom of everyone for the purpose of creating something that is applicable to everyone!
Well done. I love the simplicity of the project.
Thanks Rob! I do love simplicity! The best things in life are rarely complicated anyway. :)
Thrilled to be a part of this, Raam. It looks great!
Thank you, Colin! I’m really happy you were able to make a contribution during your US road trip!
Humbled and happy to be part of this, Raam. Congratulations! :-)
Thank you, Dragos! I’m thrilled you were able to contribute! :)
Very inspiring my friend. Great work!
Collaboration is so very powerful and bringing this work together into one spot brings so much consciousness and awareness to the good in the world.
I’ll share the love for sure. Let me know if there is anything else I can do!
Thanks Tony! You’re absolutly right about collaboration being so powerful –especially when we combine the reach of the Internet with the desire for a common goal.
There is so much wisdom and so many ideas out there. We already have the capability to fix the problems in the world. Since so many of us already want to fix those problems, we should be using whatever means possible to cooperate and bring about the change.
It still starts with us though, and that’s why I’m focusing on encouraging action on a small scale, a scale that we can all manage in our busy lives.
Hey Raam,
Very cool project and I’ll even share this with my newsletter if you don’t mind. I’m sorry I missed the deadline. It seems like you’ve got some great people involved in this project. I don;t know if you saw, but on the list of 50 netsetters you should know, somebody mentioned that you should be added to the list :). Good stuff you have going on.
Thank you, Srinivas! I would be thrilled to have you mention the ebook in your newsletter! :)
No problem with missing the deadline — it was a rather short notice and there were a bunch of people who couldn’t make it. There’s always the next project!
Thanks for pointing me to the Netsetters list — I hadn’t even heard of it until now. I’m flattered that someone would mention me!
Amazing! This really shows how powerful collaboration can be. Thank you for putting it together!
Thank you for your contribution and for writing a post about the ebook, Lynn! I’m so happy we had the chance to connect!
Thanks for inviting me to participate! I haven’t had time to read it all yet, but I love the cover and the use of white space inside. Most importantly, I love the collective wisdom of all the contributors. If I’m not sure what I want to accomplish on a certain day, I can just pick a page at random and try that.
You’re most welcome, Jennifer!
I love your idea for picking a page at random — you could even open up the table of contents, close your eyes, and just randomly click your mouse somewhere! :)
Thank you so much for your contribution to the project!
Hey Raam, congrats on getting this out. It has to be one of the best ebooks ever created. I’m so glad to be a part of this good cause and I know it will inspire people to change the world in a better way. Hope you’re having a good weekend!
Thank you, Hulbert! I’m really happy you were able to contribute!