I’m sure, like me, you’re seeing almost numbed out from several years of horrifying images in your newsfeed from Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, now Iran… and feeling appalled and saddened at the continual suffering, and helpless at the state of the world.
It’s important to know that our intense emotional reactions, and our increasing numbness, are totally normal responses to utterly abnormal world affairs. It would be far more abnormal not to feel helpless when we see what we see on a rolling basis.
Helplessness feels awful, but what can we, little old us, actually do? It’s so easy to believe that nothing we do will make a difference. That we’re too small and the problems are too large. Too global. Too wrapped up in power and might.
Over the next few weeks I’ll share a few suggestions and principles I’m leaning on right now. First up: let’s do what we can do. Even small actions can create energetic momentum and shift our state from despair to motion.
That could mean:
️ Writing/calling our parliamentary representative
️ Signing petitions, raising awareness to those in power
️ Attending marches or demonstrations
️ Volunteering where it makes a difference
It can also mean donating to charities and organisations better positioned to ease suffering than we are.
I rarely publicly talk about this, however something we’ve always done here at Thompson Towers, and have just quietly got onto again at the end of the tax year now the books have come back. Each year (and every year) we donate a percentage of our profit to charity. It’s not mega bucks (we are a small company), but it’s baked into our business; something we have always done and always will.
I very much believe in business as an intentional force for good, and I hope you do too.
This year we have chosen the same three charities as we supported last year, because the situations have not changed on the ground and so this felt like the right thing to do. They are:
1. Kiva.org – We make an ongoing monthly donation to Kiva, which supports people (especially women) in developing countries to start small businesses – a bakery, a sewing business, whatever it may be.
I once met Kiva’s founder, the incredible Jessica Jackley. Her model of giving that fosters independence and growth is just amazing. We’ve supported Kiva for over a decade now. You can read about when I met her here.
At the end of each financial year, we also decide where to donate from our “Giving” account.
This year, we split that between two causes:
2. UNICEF Gaza Appeal – the appalling suffering of children in Gaza still goes on. I don’t even have the words anymore; I hope this donation helps what should never be happening.
3. Help for Abandoned Animals in Ukraine – this charity helps care for the poor pets left behind when their families had to flee the fighting.
Even if it’s small, I believe one of the best things we can do when big things feel so bad is to take the small actions that are available to us – and to do them with as much love and peace as we can.
This business is about growth, love and support (for you!) and it means a lot to know we create ripple effects, even if they’re small, quiet and consistent 
Thank you for being part of that.
I’ll be sharing a few more ideas this month on what we can do – for ourselves and for others – when we feel powerless. I hope this one has empowered you to speak up, take action, or contribute in whatever way feels right for you. The links are above if any of those charities peak to you also.
These ripple effects do count, dear readers. They do. We simply have to believe in that .
As the incredible Mother Teresa said: “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”
And that final reminder, our emotional response is a completely normal reaction to utterly abnormal world events. It’s a sign of our humanity. We need community and ripple effects of love now more than ever .
With much love
Louise x
These are the charities Thompson Towers is proud to support:
Kiva Microlending Giving
The Gaza Appeal:
https://www.unicef.org.uk/
The Ukraine Animal Appeal:
https://www.bluecross.org.uk/
