Be Aware of Your Ripples, Please

Leave a Ripple! What exactly is that supposed to mean? Simply, leave a mark of some kind in your life. As a small rock can make a ripple when dropped in the water, so can you. We all have numerous opportunities throughout our life to leave a ripple--to impact someone, to do a good deed, to help a friend, to make a child smile, to bring comfort to the ill. Ripples do not have to be large. It's nice to have a few big ripples, but small ripples are great too if you leave one every day.

Why "leave a ripple" vs "make a ripple?" Regardless of if we are aware of it or not, we impact others. Whether we purposefully intend to do something for someone else or inadvertently ignore them, we leave a ripple. Its obvious to be aware of our ripples when we do something with intent, but often we are oblivious to the fact that inaction also creates a ripple. We may not want to "make" a ripple, but we leave one anyway. My hope is that we all do things with intent.

Inaction can create as big of a wave as action. In our society almost advocates inaction. We don't want to get involved. We don't want to offend someone. We don't want to be accused of being nosey or pushy. We don't want to viewed as overly "touchy feelie." We don't want to get out of our comfort zone. It's just easier to be inactive. It's easier to walk by someone and not say "hello." Its easier to not ask someone how they are doing--particularly when you know the person may have a long reply to you that may not provide the standard "Great, thanks." There are numerous reasons why we just sit back and do nothing.

I'm not preaching that you go out every day to make a huge splash. Small ripples every day make a constant wave, and eventually make an impact. One small wave against a shoreline does little, if anything. However, a constant small wave against the shoreline leaves a mark over time. You can tell where the water hit the shoreline over and over.

Leave a Ripple.