No, I did not win the lottery. “100 million” refers to an idea I’ve meant to share for a while now. If you are like me, you may be a bit frustrated seeing the many ways our world could be a better place for us all, if only we took better care of it. We could have less of what we dislike – things like pollution, poverty, lies, wars, alienation and disenfranchisement, and more of things we long for like clean air, clean water, safe streets, kindness, community, family, security, time to connect, to enjoy life and one other…

The frustration comes from the sense that even as we exert ourselves individually, our efforts – which might entail some cost and inconvenience – might be entirely futile in the grand scheme of things. Buying produce from a local farmer could be inconvenient and more expensive than going to a supermarket. Cooking at home is a lot of work while fast food is cheap, quick and easy. Taking time to help your neighbour carry her groceries up the stairs might make you late for work. And so forth…

But what if 100 million people made these small efforts in their lives? What if 100 million gave their businesses to local farmers instead of the four or six corporations selling most of your supermarket food? What if 100 million deposited their money with small community banks instead of multinational behemoths? If they declined to be seduced into upgrading their telephones and other widgets every two years? What if we all told the truth?

We tend to influence one another in more ways than we are aware of and whatever positive adjustments you make in your life, it is more likely that other people will do the same. If 100 – or 200, or 500 million of us made even small changes in our daily habits, the difference we could make could even be very significant, I am convinced of it.

In the future I will share some thoughts, ideas and adjustments I have made, and intend to make in my life. The most significant one is perhaps is the one which I expressed in a blogpost a few years ago. To this day I consider this one my favorite and most meaningful entry: tell the truth, even if it leads to your death.