Desmond Tutu. Said,

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
Welcome to The Soul Podcast. I’m Stacey Wheeler.
Today I want to share a story that feels like a living example of that quote — a story about one man quietly choosing stewardship over profit, and legacy in the deepest sense. It happened in eastern Washington recently, and it reminded me of a truth about the kindness of humanity.
Gary Verbrugge is seventy-two years old. He owns about 885 acres of family land that’s been in his family since the 1920s. Forests, wetlands, river bottom along the Little Spokane River, ridges, streams — the kind of wild, rugged beauty that still supports moose, elk, deer, wolves, bobcats, cougars, and bald eagles. He even has a moose that wanders through and prunes his apple trees. Wildlife cameras capture the quiet magic every day.
Gary has no children, no heirs waiting to inherit. He could have sold the property to developers who would slice it into five- or ten-acre lots. Instead, he decided to give it away.
He’s already donated 145 acres outright to the Kalispel Tribe of Indians, and the rest will go to them after he passes. Most of it is protected forever by a conservation easement — no new houses, no commercial development, no unnecessary roads. The land stays wild. The wildlife stays home. And the tribe gains a place to reconnect with their ancestral territory for hunting, fishing, gathering, and cultural renewal.
Gary didn’t do this for headlines. After retiring early from the Social Security Administration, he came back to the land full-time around 2006. He was shocked at how poorly it had been logged in the past, so he spent years restoring it — planting native trees, improving habitat, reducing wildfire risk. This wasn’t a sudden grand gesture. It was the natural next step of a life lived in relationship with the place.
And that brings me to the deeper soul of this story.
We’re living in a time of spiritual emergence — a quiet but powerful awakening where more and more people are remembering that we are not separate from the earth. We’re not owners; we’re caretakers. The old story of extraction and endless growth is cracking open, and something more relational, more reverent, is rising in its place. Gary’s choice feels like a perfect embodiment of that shift.
He looked at the land not as a commodity to cash in, but as a community he belongs to. He chose to protect its life for generations he will never meet. That’s soul work. That’s what spiritual maturity looks like in everyday clothes.
Later I’ll come back to another beautiful piece of wisdom — the Native American proverb that says, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” Gary is living that truth right now.
Think about what it takes to make a decision like this. It requires letting go of the ego’s need to control or profit. It requires trust that the next stewards will care for it well. It requires a heart that values beauty, biodiversity, and belonging over bank accounts.
In a world that constantly tells us to get more, take more, secure more for ourselves, Gary quietly asked a different question: “What good can I do here while I’m still on this earth?”
And that question is available to every single one of us, no matter how big or small our piece of ground — or our influence — is.
You don’t need 885 acres to practice this kind of good. You can do it in your backyard, your neighborhood, your workplace, your family. You can do it with your time, your attention, your words, your money, your choices.
Little bits of good.
They add up. They overwhelm the world.
So as we close this episode, I invite you to sit with two gentle questions:
What good are you already doing in the world — even in the smallest ways?
And what good are you noticing and celebrating in the world around you?
Because what we pay attention to grows. When we shine a light on acts of quiet generosity like Gary’s, we help that spirit of stewardship spread.
If this story moved you, share it with someone. Or better yet, let it spark one small generous act of your own this week.
I’d love to hear your reflections too. You can reach out on social media or through the website. Your stories of good in the world keep this podcast alive.
Thank you for spending this time with me. Until next episode, keep doing your little bit of good right where you are.