Thoughts and actions are like stones dropped in a pond, creating ripples that travel outward. The ripple effect is based on the understanding that we are all connected.
Everything we do and think affects the people in our lives and their reactions, in turn, affect others. In this way, the choices we make have far-reaching consequences, and each one of us carries within us the capacity to change the world.
With each thing I write or create, I want to change the world. Several people have told me that this is a ridiculous notion. But even though others may laugh at the idea that a single person or a single play, video or blog post can change the world, I believe it can. A single positive act might not suddenly change the outlook of the entire world. It might not even make a noticeable difference in my community or anywhere else, but by setting something good in motion, it will affect others as the ripple spreads outward. It may be only one person is affected at first and feels uplifted or inspired, but the positivity it has brought to their life will, in turn, influence their actions, which will in their turn affect others. And onward the ripple effect continues.
We do not live in a vacuum. Our actions create ripples of good or ill, whether we realize it or not. Oftentimes we will never know the effect our actions have had on the world. There is a quote by Albert Schweitzer, which I love. It says:
“No ray of sunshine is ever lost, but the green that it awakens takes time to sprout and it is not always given the sower to see the harvest.”
When we drop our small pebble into the vast ocean, we may not be able to see the ripples as they continue to grow. We may even feel foolish, thinking that such a small contribution will make any kind of a difference. But it is important that we keep dropping those pebbles into the ocean anyway. They may not change the whole world at once, but they will affect someone, who will affect someone else, and someone
Remember, each of us carries within us the capacity to change the world–one pebble, one smile, one act of kindness or service at a time.
thank you for this post and for your episodes – i have enjoyed all of them. keep up the good work.