For over a decade, the Pacific Palisades has been our community—a place where my daughters attended Seven Arrows Elementary, where ocean views and mountain vistas filled our days with gratitude. Los Angeles has been my heart’s home for nearly three decades, where I built my businesses and watched my family grow.
Today, like so many, we’re in temporary shelter after the fires changed everything. The landscape we love has been ravaged and scorched.
It’s natural to feel powerless in moments like these, and I’m reminded of a story that offers hope—one that shows how even the smallest actions, when done with love, can bring forth unimaginable change.
The Hummingbird & the Fire
According to the story, one day there was a big fire in the forest. All the animals fled in terror in all directions, because it was a very violent fire. A jaguar sat at a distance, passively observing the chaos and panic of the fleeing animals.
Suddenly, the jaguar saw a hummingbird pass over his head, but in the opposite direction from the fleeing forest dwellers. The hummingbird flew towards the fire!
The jaguar watched the hummingbird carefully. Moments later, the jaguar saw the tiny bird pass overhead again, this time in the same direction as the forest dwellers fleeing the fire. Then, again, the hummingbird flew towards the inferno. Repeating this behavior over and over, seemingly endlessly, the bird seemed driven by a mission.
The jaguar observed this coming and going until he decided to ask the bird about it, because it was very puzzling behavior.
“What are you doing, hummingbird?” he asked.
“I am going to the lake,” the bird answered, “I drink water with my beak and throw it on the fire to extinguish it.”
The jaguar laughed. ‘Are you crazy? Do you really think that you can put out that big fire on your own with your very small beak?’
‘No,’ said the hummingbird, ‘I know I can’t. But the forest is my home. It feeds me; it shelters me and my family.
I am very grateful for that.
And I help the forest grow by pollinating its flowers. I am part of her and the forest is part of me. I know I can’t put out the fire, but I must do my part, no matter how small or insignificant.’
At that moment, the forest spirits, who heard the hummingbird, were moved by the little bird and its devotion to the forest.
Joining together with the rain god, they miraculously sent a torrential downpour, which put an immediate end to the great fire.
Grandmothers tell this story to their grandchildren with this:
“Do you want to attract miracles into your life?
Do your part in life while you can, no matter how small or insignificant you may think it is.”
Doing Our Part
As entrepreneurs—and as human beings—we all face our own fires: a struggling business, an unexpected setback, a crisis that seems too big to overcome. It’s easy to feel like the jaguar: worried, overwhelmed, and unsure where to start.
But the hummingbird reminds us that we don’t have to put out the entire fire on our own. Our role is simply to do what we can, with the resources we have, in the moment we’re in.
Here in Los Angeles, our forests and neighborhoods are hurting, and many of us feel powerless. Yet, it’s in these very moments that we can find purpose—by taking our “one drop of water” to the fire, trusting that our effort, however small, can make a difference.
How to Be the Hummingbird in Your Business (and Life)
- Identify Your Fire(s)
- What challenge feels overwhelming right now?
- Give it a name. Seeing it clearly is the first step toward change.
- Discover Your Drop of Water
- What small, meaningful action can you take today?
- Send that email, make that call, connect with a mentor—simple steps spark momentum.
- Shift the Question
- Instead of “How will I fix everything?” ask “What’s one thing I can do right now?”
- This gentle mindset shift opens up possibilities.
- Act, Even When It Feels Insignificant
- The hummingbird doesn’t wait for permission or certainty. It just moves.
- Trust that each action adds up, drop by drop.
- Trust You’re Not Alone
- When you show up wholeheartedly, allies and opportunities often appear.
- Keep going, even if you don’t yet see the outcome.
Every time you take a step toward healing, growing, and rebuilding, you’re honoring the essence of the hummingbird.
You’re doing what you can in a world that needs all the kindness and courage it can get.
May we all remember that it’s our willingness to carry even a small drop of water that can lead to miracles.
The world needs your heart, your courage, and your hope—now more than ever.
If you’d like extra support on your journey, I’d be honored to walk with you. Let’s talk about how we can bring a drop of water to the fires you’re facing.
Click here to set up a discovery call.
Wishing you all the very best always,
Kalika
