--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every one of us can make a contribution…" description: "\"Every one of us can make a contribution. And quite often we are looking for the big things and forget that, wherever we are, we can make a contribution..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/wangari-maathai-2479_big-things_every-one-of-us-can-make-a-contribution_704999.jpg" --- # Every one of us can make a contribution. And quite often… ![“Every one of us can make a contribution. And quite often we are looking for the big things and forget that, wherever we are, we can make a contribution. Sometimes I tell myself, I may only be planting a tree here, but just imagine what's happening if there are billions of people out there doing…” quote by Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/wangari-maathai-2479_big-things_every-one-of-us-can-make-a-contribution_704999.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/wangari-maathai-2479_big-things_every-one-of-us-can-make-a-contribution_704999.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/wangari-maathai-2479_big-things_every-one-of-us-can-make-a-contribution_704999.jpg) > “Every one of us can make a contribution. And quite often we are looking for the big things and forget that, wherever we are, we can make a contribution. Sometimes I tell myself, I may only be planting a tree here, but just imagine what's happening if there are billions of people out there doing something. Just imagine the power of what we can do.” [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Every individual can contribute, even small actions like planting a tree, collectively creating massive impact when billions act. **In simple terms:** Small acts add up to huge change. Key Takeaway Take small, consistent actions toward larger goals. Themes environment collective action individual impact sustainability hope Mood hopeful reflective empowering Type inspirational activist When to use this quote - community gardening - local clean‑up drives - educational workshops - volunteer coordination Key Concepts ecology social responsibility network effects Questions to Reflect On - What small step can you take today? - How can you inspire others to join? A Different Perspective Individual efforts may feel insignificant without visible results. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-things/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Billions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billions/) [Can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) [Contribution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution/) [Contribution Quite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution-quite-5573210/) [Contribution Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution-tell-5573211/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Happening Billions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happening-billions-5573212/) [Happenings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happenings/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Make Contribution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-contribution-274873/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) ## Related quotes > [It seems to me that it's every man's obligation to make what contribution he can. You live each day as best you can. That,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-mckuen/it-seems-to-me-that-it-s-every-man-s-obligation-to-make-what/) [Rod McKuen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-mckuen/) > [Each of us is a unique strand in the intricate web of life and here to make a contribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/each-of-us-is-a-unique-strand-in-the-intricate-web-of-life-and-here/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I want to make as much of a contribution as I can, to Harvard, to higher education and hopefully, to education around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-breyer/i-want-to-make-as-much-of-a-contribution-as-i-can-to-harvard-to/) [Jim Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-breyer/) > [I am delighted to be involved in the digital divide campaign to ensure that every school is made aware of what steps it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle-morris-baroness-morris-of-yardley/i-am-delighted-to-be-involved-in-the-digital-divide-campaign-to/) [Estelle Morris, Baroness Morris of Yardley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle-morris-baroness-morris-of-yardley/) > [When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/when-you-cease-to-make-a-contribution-you-begin-to-die/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The circumstances of your life have uniquely qualified you to make a contribution. And if you don't make that contribution, nobody else can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/the-circumstances-of-your-life-have-uniquely-qualified-you-to-make-a/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [I truly believe —particularly in this political climate—I have to make my contribution a hopeful one. I can’t see the world any other way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/measha-brueggergosman/i-truly-believe-particularly-in-this-political-climate-i-have-to-make/) [Measha Brueggergosman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/measha-brueggergosman/) > [I will not accept a new wave of fiscal retrenchment, of belt-tightening, without asking people at the top to make their contribution, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-clegg/i-will-not-accept-a-new-wave-of-fiscal-retrenchment-of-belt/) [Nick Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-clegg/) > [Everyone in our society has had to make a contribution towards dealing with the debts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-osborne/everyone-in-our-society-has-had-to-make-a-contribution-towards/) [George Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-osborne/) > [I want to make sure that I am always ready: that if I step off the bench, I will make a contribution, then be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-bellamy/i-want-to-make-sure-that-i-am-always-ready-that-if-i-step-off-the/) [Craig Bellamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-bellamy/) > [I want to do anything where people feel I can help make their franchise better and make a contribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-brown/i-want-to-do-anything-where-people-feel-i-can-help-make-their/) [Larry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-brown/) > [Get in the game. Do the best you can. Try to make a contribution. Learn from today. Apply it to tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/get-in-the-game-do-the-best-you-can-try-to-make-a-contribution-learn/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [Do you want an interesting job? Yes. Do you want a balanced life? Yes. And to make a contribution as well? Of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-nanterme/do-you-want-an-interesting-job-yes-do-you-want-a-balanced-life-yes/) [Pierre Nanterme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-nanterme/) > [Send me money, send me green, and Heaven you will meet. Make your contribution and you'll get a better seat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hetfield/send-me-money-send-me-green-and-heaven-you-will-meet-make-your/) [James Hetfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hetfield/) > [I don't want to be taking up space, but as long as I can make a contribution, I want to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-parish/i-don-t-want-to-be-taking-up-space-but-as-long-as-i-can-make-a/) [Robert Parish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-parish/) ## More by Wangari Maathai > [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [We cannot tire or give up. We owe it to the present and future generations of all species to rise up and walk!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/we-cannot-tire-or-give-up-we-owe-it-to-the-present-and-future/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [What I am trying to say is that they need to learn to rely on themselves and to learn from other people, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/what-i-am-trying-to-say-is-that-they-need-to-learn-to-rely-on/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [As long as there is no trust and confidence that there will be justice and fairness in resource distribution, political positioning will remain more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/as-long-as-there-is-no-trust-and-confidence-that-there-will-be/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [If Africa is left behind, she is going to continue pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, especially carbon. She's going to continue logging the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/if-africa-is-left-behind-she-is-going-to-continue-pumping-greenhouse/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [That's the way I do things when I want to celebrate, I always plant a tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/that-s-the-way-i-do-things-when-i-want-to-celebrate-i-always-plant-a/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [I think that for anybody who has worked in the civil society, government bureaucracy moves very very slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/i-think-that-for-anybody-who-has-worked-in-the-civil-society/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [I have seen a lot of men, for example, who will make a will and include their daughters whether they are married or not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/i-have-seen-a-lot-of-men-for-example-who-will-make-a-will-and-include/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [I was particularly talking with respect to aid, because that to me is one area that can make people so dependent, and unfortunately, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/i-was-particularly-talking-with-respect-to-aid-because-that-to-me-is/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [African women in general need to know that it's OK for them to be the way they are - to see the way they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/african-women-in-general-need-to-know-that-it-s-ok-for-them-to-be-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [As a scientist I cannot say we don't want to hear anything about GMOs, because these are advances in science. But I think its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/as-a-scientist-i-cannot-say-we-don-t-want-to-hear-anything-about-gmos/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [When I first started, it was really an innocent response to the needs of women in rural areas. When we started planting trees to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/when-i-first-started-it-was-really-an-innocent-response-to-the-needs/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [Monsanto will not come empty-handed. Monsanto will come with a big bag of money. And because these governments are poor, when they are shown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/monsanto-will-not-come-empty-handed-monsanto-will-come-with-a-big-bag/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [Why has there been so much secrecy about AIDS? When you ask where did the virus come from, it raises a lot of flags.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/why-has-there-been-so-much-secrecy-about-aids-when-you-ask-where-did/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [I stand before you and the world humbled by this recognition and uplifted by the honour of being the 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/i-stand-before-you-and-the-world-humbled-by-this-recognition-and/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) [Explore all 164 Wangari Maathai quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) ## More Big things quotes > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/i-want-my-squad-to-be-confident-ambitious-they-have-to-believe-in-big/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [Little things make the difference. Everyone is well prepared in the big things, but only the winners perfect the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/little-things-make-the-difference-everyone-is-well-prepared-in-the/) [Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/) > [I would not have lasted a minute, literally a minute, on this Earth without God and angels by my side, because I was born.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mattie-stepanek/i-would-not-have-lasted-a-minute-literally-a-minute-on-this-earth/) [Mattie Stepanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mattie-stepanek/) > [The larger an English industry was, the more likely it was to go bankrupt, because the English were not naturally corporate people; they disliked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-larger-an-english-industry-was-the-more-likely-it-was-to-go/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [It's silly to have as one's sole object in life just making money, accumulating wealth. I work because I enjoy what I'm doing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/it-s-silly-to-have-as-one-s-sole-object-in-life-just-making-money/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-dale-bell/show-me-a-man-who-cannot-bother-to-do-little-things-and-i-ll-show-you/) [Lawrence Dale Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-dale-bell/) > [ITS FUNNY HOW YOU CAN MAKE SILENT HAPPINESS TO OTHER PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR NONE SENSE ACTIONS. BECAUSE SOMETHINGS IT MAYBE LITTLE AS WE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/no-voice/its-funny-how-you-can-make-silent-happiness-to-other-people-out-of/) [NO VOICE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/no-voice/) > [The little things, I can obey. But the big things - how we think, what we value - those you must choose yourself. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morrie-schwartz/the-little-things-i-can-obey-but-the-big-things-how-we-think-what-we/) [Morrie Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morrie-schwartz/) > [The little things are being early to meetings and lifts, stretching and warming up - doing all these things consistently, the walk-throughs that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-herbert/the-little-things-are-being-early-to-meetings-and-lifts-stretching/) [Justin Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-herbert/) > [I promise you this: at the end of your days, you will discover that the things you now perceive to be the big things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/i-promise-you-this-at-the-end-of-your-days-you-will-discover-that-the/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“He wanted me to understand two big things: First, that nobody, no group, is above others. Public servants are obliged to level with everybody,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/he-wanted-me-to-understand-two-big-things-first-that-nobody-no-group/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“When it comes to big things in life, there are no accidents. Everything happens for a reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/when-it-comes-to-big-things-in-life-there-are-no-accidents-everything/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [President Barack Obama is a doer. And we in America will do big things with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hunt/president-barack-obama-is-a-doer-and-we-in-america-will-do-big-things/) [Jim Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hunt/) > [There are experts in little things but there are no experts in big things. There are experts in this fact and that fact but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/there-are-experts-in-little-things-but-there-are-no-experts-in-big/) [Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/) [Browse all 748 Big things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every one of us can make a contribution. And quite often we are looking for the big things and forget that, wherever we are, we can make a contribution. Sometimes I tell myself, I may only be planting a tree here, but just imagine what's happening if there are billions of people out there doing something. 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