To catalyze something means to make it happen faster or to trigger it into action. The word comes from chemistry, where a catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being used up itself. A small amount of catalyst can make a reaction happen in seconds that would otherwise take hours.

Outside the lab, we use catalyze to describe anything that sparks change or gets things moving. A student's thoughtful question might catalyze a great class discussion. A coach's halftime speech might catalyze a team's comeback. When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus in 1955, her act of courage helped catalyze the Civil Rights Movement.

What makes catalyzing special is that the trigger doesn't have to be huge. Just as a tiny amount of catalyst transforms a whole beaker of chemicals, a small action or idea can catalyze major changes. One person sharing an exciting book recommendation can catalyze a reading craze through an entire school. A single invention, like the printing press, catalyzed the spread of knowledge across Europe.

When you catalyze something, you're not doing all the work yourself. You're providing the spark that allows something bigger to happen.