You Have One Job!
It’s -20º outside, and there’s a wind chill factor blowing across the city, giving us an extra bonus of cold for the holidays. From inside my car, I’m the beneficiary of a difference of over 35 degrees from the outside temperature, a modest safety bubble of protection from the elements. It’s cold enough outside that if I put my bare hand near the car doors or windows, I can feel cold fingers of arctic air trying to pry their way into my vehicle. I know not to take the weather personally, but I feel somewhat personally offended by the cold trying to reach me, trying to steal the energy generated by myself and the car. “Stop it, will you? Haven’t I already given enough between my walk from the house to the car?!” The frozen air feels needy, an all-consuming ocean of cold and darkness.
I don’t have the energy to light or warm the night. Alone, the cold would consume me—and nothing would change or even be noticed. I wish I could help, but I can’t.
Edmonton feels as cold as it looks.
I often think about this modest but warm economic bubble my family and I have. We’re able to thrive with a safe home, meals, clean water, Wi-Fi, and a few streaming subscriptions. This year, I did my best to support causes I care about and share warmth where I could.
Still, as my car passes homeless encampments, my efforts can feel as futile as trying to warm the streets by opening my car door.
I choose to tell myself that the act of giving is still important. Additionally, I remind myself that giving has never been about feeling good or delighting in my own generosity. The organizations I support tell me I’m making a difference, so I’ll trust in that and continue for as long as I’m able.
I often think things most worthy of trust are unchanging and rock-solid. Yet there’s wisdom in believing the world is more malleable than constant.
Things change. Even rock-solid foundations can shift. Sometimes, change starts with atom-sized adjustments—tiny variances that grow and cascade into world-changing events. We’ve seen such changes recently.
“You wouldn’t think that a cluster of atoms weighing less than one-trillionth of a gram could amount to much. Yet one such cluster, following a tiny tweak to its shape, entered a human body in late 2019, sparking a chain of events that killed more than seven million people and shut down the world economy...” -Chris Anderson
And if a virus can topple world orders, can we also accept that hope and generosity can be equally potent in terms of creating change? Change that saves and empowers lives? I do. Many of us have inherited and benefited from microgenerosities that have cascaded over time, giving us things like education, health care, and the 5-day work week.
A few hours later, after my ride through the cold, I found myself in the grocery store feeling once again like I wasn’t doing enough to make the world a better place. Just as I was beginning to feel handcuffs of shame and grief clasp around the hands of my soul, I had a moment where I felt like I could hear these words in my spirit. “Who asked you to save the world? Have you ever asked one single candle to light up the whole world? Neither are you expected to lift the entire burden of humanity.” and then, I felt my shoulders relax, I bought what I needed to buy, and went home. I can’t change the weather, I can’t save everyone, and it’s never been my job to do either.
Empathy is a beautiful thing. But mixed with Ego, it can sour quickly. Keep the empathy, but confront and ditch the ego. You and I have one job: be human and do your best to be a good one.
My friend, thank you for reading. If you’ve spent any time here in this corner of the internet over this last year, I thank you, and I wish you well in 2026!
Notes: Anderson, Chris. Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading (p. xiii). (Function). Kindle Edition.