Last week, a lovely email showed up in my inbox. It said in part…

“I wanted to share with you how inspiring your work is. I have not seen this type of philanthropic consulting before, you must be very proud of what you have accomplished.

My brother and I just came back from Rwanda, where we spent time learning with a group called PIH (Partners in Health), also inspiring. Unfortunately, I arrived back and got right back into the groove of work and pressure that goes along with finishing my medical residency.…your site reminded me that I don’t have to wait to finish what I am doing to contribute.

The mindset of when I get to x I will be able to do y can be very alluring when you are busy. So without talking to you, I have already been inspired and thought that PIH has a monthly donation and if I can afford a gym membership that I never use I can certainly exchange that for a monthly donation to PIH, as I believe in how and what they do to improve health care in underserved communities.”

J.A., Medical Resident

What struck me about this message is that this is the first time someone has gone beyond saying, “nice website,” and told me that it actually inspired him to take action. I loved this!

I also really appreciated his point about waiting to make a difference. We don’t need to wait. We don’t have to get to a certain stage of life, status, or income level to engage in philanthropy.

We can take action NOW. Every little bit counts. Start where you are. As I’ve said before, it will lead to a happier, healthier life.

What can you do now to make a difference? Have you been inspired to take action? If so, please share in the comments below.