DAY 62 – KEY ASPECT: THE RIPPLE EFFECT: THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF LIFE (RAMIFICATIONS FOR HOW WE THINK, FEEL AND ACT)

I am at a friend’s house situated alongside a lake. Their six year old son is throwing tiny pebbles into the lake. Each one creates small ripples in the water that permeates outwards. Suddenly this boy takes a larger stone and when it hits the water a much larger ripple is sent out in all directions.

Every morning when each of us awakens we are simultaneously sending out ripples in the world. The silent words each of us say to ourselves plays a role in a person’s actions that day. Those words can make us appear kind and considerate or so self-centered that we rush around appearing to not care about the welfare of those we come in contact with. We sometimes forget that other people matter also and any inconsideration, indifference or anger we show towards someone stems from the ripples of certain silent words said to oneself.

The person on the receiving end of harsh words and detrimental actions may create their own ripples within themself. They can become annoyed, angry, lose confidence in themselves or feel terrible. That in turn ripples out into the world by their actions and a small, if not larger, chain reaction has begun. So much of the negativity in the world is that of being affected by what we see, hear and read and that affect is often nothing more than the ripples that are part of a detrimental chain reaction.

Living in a world where we separate ourselves into members of a specific nationality, religion, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation creates ripples in and of itself. For some group members they look at life from a self-centered group approach and do not treat people who belong to another group with the same kindness, decency, fairness and consideration as they do their own group members. When this occurs they are conveying that they only care about people who are like themselves. Sending out such a message creates a devastating ripple where people cannot live in harmony with one another because they are not treated with the best of intentions.

The world that human beings want to live in is one where the ripples that are sent out are that of being thoughtful, considerate, kind and cooperative. Such actions create silent words in the person who experiences the best in others that says the world is filled with good and decent human beings. The ripples of such a mindset are profoundly beneficial.

When someone is thought of as being good, kind, decent and cooperative it creates a ripple of trust. With trust people lose any sense of apprehension towards that person. Without apprehension anxiousness and fear subsides and people can more easily come together for everyone’s mutual benefit.

In today’s world where it is easy to access all types of news we sometimes forget that human beings turn out okay ninety-nine percent of the time. It is here that humanity is sending out the positive ripples that enhance our world. It is here that a better life and a better world exists.

As we are walking from the lake to my friend’s house I now realize that every human being is creating ripples in the world based upon how they think, feel and act. To create a better world each of us has to be cognizant of the words we say to others and the actions we take and how they ripple their way into the lives of our fellow human beings.