From idea to reality: How small actions create the world we want
Every transformation starts with someone deciding to act—here's how to make your move count
Monday we Connected, Tuesday we Shared the Story of Red Hen App, and today we Act. Because ideas without action remain just ideas, but action—even small action— toward connection and community wealth? Those create the kind of world we all want.
Wednesday We Act: Here’s How
Your actions matter more than you think.
Last night on a TikTok Live with Taralyn Romero and Tripp of Fellow Citizens, we were talking about taking action and how people feel overwhelmed unless things are broken down into small, simple steps.
So here’s a reminder that you don't have to have it all figured out. A lot of people get stuck in planning and ideation. They think they need the perfect plan before they can start. But that's not how transformation works.
The antidote? Just pick one thing and try it. Just take a single step toward that thing. If you don't know what you want to do, pick something from the Local Futures Action Guide or Shareable and try it.
Worried it might not work out or be the one thing you really want to do? Contrary to popular belief, failure is a feature, not a bug. When you try something and it doesn't work out, you learn so much about yourself and what you actually want. Every attempt teaches you something. That builds wisdom and that levels up your life and the life of every person you share your findings with.
Had something really inspiring happen in our Substack community this week.
took a small act and, based on my Wellbeing Economy Finder Prompt, started a curated Wellbeing Economy Directory for Every CityAs she says, "This isn't just another business directory—it's a roadmap to economic alternatives that prioritize people and planet alongside profit." Because she took the time, now even more people have easier access to people and resources right where they are.
It is these small things that add up to real change.
I created the prompt. She made the directory. These actions build on each other when you do them in community. They ripple out into real projects and real change if you trust the process and take the action you’re inspired by today.
My thanks to LaVonne for her contribution to the whole. I hope she inspires you that if you have an idea — go for it! You never know who it could help. You can subscribe to her publication The New Whole Earth here.
When you connect your actions to others doing the same things, the ripple effects are untold. This is why I believe the tide is going to turn practically overnight—because of the small, intentional actions all of us are taking every day.
Action Guide Spotlight: Move Your Money
Want one of the easiest ways to help your local economy? Move your bank account from a large national bank to a community financial institution—a local bank or credit union focused on supporting local businesses and citizens.
Why this matters: When you bank locally, your deposits get loaned out to local businesses and homebuyers in your community instead of funding corporate speculation. The collective impact of millions of people transferring assets from multinational to local institutions would significantly shift the dynamic of the global financial system.
Real examples that inspire action:
Triodos Bank in the UK focuses on financing organic farming, childcare facilities, small businesses, and renewable energy projects
Maine Harvest Federal Credit Union is the only financial institution in the US that focuses its loans on growing a healthy local food system
The Clean Energy Federal Credit Union in Colorado finances small-scale renewable energy projects
Ready to make the switch? The Local Futures Action Guide has everything you need:
Find credit unions near you with interactive maps
Compare local banks based on community impact metrics
Get step-by-step guides for organizing move-your-money campaigns
Access tools for finding environmentally and socially-responsible financial institutions
This embodies all our core principles: prioritizing community wellbeing through local lending, creating alignment across different values (everyone needs banking), and focusing on transformation by building alternatives to extractive finance.
Find your local community financial institution through the Local Futures Action Guide.
App Roundup
Red Hen App
If you haven’t yet, see yesterday’s story and download Red Hen App. Even if there are no farmers in your area yet, every download shows demand and will get more to sign up. This could be in every city within a matter of months if we all chip in.
Commonwealth Grocers
Another one, which we’ll be featuring a story on soon, is Commonwealth Grocers, a supermarket alternative owned by the people.
Faircado
And if you’re interested in alternatives to big box stores and buying new? Faircado helps you shop sustainably by putting millions of offers from all the biggest secondhand marketplaces in ONE app, saving you search time and energy!
And that wraps it up for Wednesday and this week.
What small act will you take today? Let us know in the comments!
xoxo
J. Friday
Connectioning is a collaborative media project. I’m happy to be serving as your guide for this week. For more on me, follow on my personal newsletter at The Saving the World Strategy Guide, where I share the story of going from homeless to global community wealth influencer.
Resources
Our developing Discord Community
Prompt for Finding Wellbeing Economy Initiatives in Your Area (not perfect, but a great place to start until the Wiki is more comprehensive!)
LaVonne Ellis is curating a Wellbeing Economy Directory for Every City
Please check the developing Wellbeing Economy / Community Wealth Wiki for a directory of resources and tools for finding wellbeing economy and community wealth initiatives in your area and globally, plus a growing list of apps and services.
Coming up next week: Exciting news coming next week from another writer here on Substack that will make following through with our actions easier than ever.
That is all for our first week! Next week we’ll have the full round: Monday Connect, Tuesday Share, Wednesday Act, Thursday Grow, Friday Ground.
Thanks for being a part of this and see you then!
I love what you’re doing to help people empower themselves and their local communities. As much as large, famous companies, America has always been built and thrived upon community support for local businesses and farms.
Love all these actionable steps to take! It’s true that small steps will get us where we need to go and are less overwhelming than huge changes!
I’ve always known that shopping locally instead of at big companies is important, but lately I’ve seen just how large corporations actively lobby against us and I have minimized my spending at those by cancelling Amazon, boycotting Target, etc. but I hadn’t thought about my bank! I will look into a credit union.
I also attended a talk by The Financial Diet about “ethical” investments and knowing what your 401k is funding. It could be funding oil or weapons and now I’m curious about that as well.
Thank you for this!