RIPPLES
by Val Leichtman
The stone drops in the lake, marking the water momentarily on its decent. Small concentric circles begin to appear around the now invisible mark, getting larger and larger until they reach the lake’s edge.
“No, I can’t do that.” I say and hang up the phone. The atmosphere around me indents at my action momentarily and then bounces back. Small concentric circles begin to appear in the atmosphere around the now invisible mark, getting larger and larger until they reach the edge of my reality.
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The Ripple Effect. It seems to be kind a catch phrase in today’s world. Anything we do will affect something else. A butterfly flaps its wings in Japan and a tsunami happens on the other side of the world…
I’m a firm believer in the ripple effect. Not necessarily on such a dramatic scale as the butterfly, but most certainly on a personal level. As Bert says in his “Own Your Life” audio program, “Small changes can have a big effect.” He’s right.
Over the past few years since I started working with BOWA, I’ve made quite a few relatively small changes, but each caused a ripple effect within me and subsequently with those I interact with. For instance, the most powerful tool I think Bert ever reintroduced to me was the journal. I now take at least 5 minutes a day and write about what I’m feeling. Simple right? Yes, but those few moments of introspection now help me understand myself better. When I work my journal properly, it helps me see when I’m heading into a negative state before I can even feel it, which then gives me time to try to avert that state entirely.
I’m by no means perfect at this. In fact, oftentimes I forget to journal at the times I need it most. All I’m saying is, the power of one small action, like picking up a pen a few minutes a day, can ripple through your life like a tsunami.
JUN