Dropped Into Still Waters ~ The Ripple Effect ~

From my Daily Om book, so appropriate for today:

In a world of six billion people, it is easy to believe that the only way to initiate profound transformation is to take extreme action. Each of us, however, carries within us the capacity to change the world in small ways for better or worse. Everything we do and think affects the people in our lives, and their reactions in turn affect others. As the effect of a seemingly insignificant word passes from person to person, its impact grows and can become a source of great joy, inspiration, anxiety, or pain.

Your thoughts and actions are like stones dropped into still waters, causing ripple to spread and expand as they move outward. The impact you have on the world is grater than you could ever imagine, and the choices you make can have far-reaching consequences. You can use the ripple effect to make a positive difference and spread waves of kindness that will wash over the world.

Should the opportunity arise, the recipient of a good deed will likely feel compelled to perform one for some else. Somebody feeling the effect of negative energy will be more like to pass that on. One act of charity, one thoughtful deed, or even one positive thought can pass from individual to individual, snowballing until it becomes a group movement or the ray of hope that saves someone's life. Every transformation, just like every ripple, has a point of origin. You must believe in your ability to BE that point of origin if you want to use the ripples you create to spread goodness. Consider the effect of your thoughts and actions, and try to act graciously as much as possible.

A smile directed at a stranger, a compliment given to a friend, an attitude of laughter, or a thoughtful gesture can send ripples that spread among your loved ones and associates, out into your community, and finally through the world. you have the power to touch the lives of everyone you come into contact with and everyone THOSE people come into contact with. The momentum of your influence will grow as your ripples move onward and outward.

One of those ripples could become a tidal wave of love and kindness.