There is a quote that I once read which I come back to time and again when I am in need of a reminder about my own abilities and worth. It reads:
“Your thoughts and words are like stones dropped into still waters, causing ripples to grow and expand outward. The power you have to make impact on the world is far greater than you could ever imagine.”
Further exploration and interpreting of these beautifully strung together words leads to the discovery that each and every one of us is an incredibly powerful being with great potential to spark change and manifest good. We all come with our own unique strengths and sets of gifts, and when we believe in ourselves we can use those strengths and gifts to make ripples, even waves, for the greater good. You alone have the ability to do wonders.
Allow me to craft a simple example to help illustrate the potential power you hold to create good and have it ripple outwards towards growth:
Imagine you are at a coffee shop. You walk up to the cashier to order your coffee. The barista manning the cash register has had a tough morning; they are anxious, tired, and weary of the abrasiveness of customers rushing through the morning hours. Upon your turn at the register, you pause, you greet the barista a good morning, you ask them how they are doing, you smile at them, maybe you even joke with them; you provide a much needed friendly interaction filled with warmth and kindness. Now feeling acknowledged, seen, and treated with due respect, the mood of the barista is elevated. In turn, they are better able to serve more customers throughout the day with that same kindness and warmth, and all of those customers may now go forth and perhaps spread even more kindness and warmth. By simply being friendly, respectful, and treating everyone as your equal, you have quite possibly elevated the energy of dozens throughout the day.
The above scenario starts on a small scale and becomes larger as the momentum catches on – the stone is dropped, the ripples spread, and the waves formulate. This can happen on even grander scales as well. Consider the following scenario:
You are on the phone with your friend. In this conversation, you tell your friend something they deeply needed to hear – a poignant piece of truth, a broader perspective, or any other message that ends up resonating with them. This friend also happens to be a teacher. Your friend-teacher goes to their class and in their lecture relates that very something you told them to their students. This message deeply resonates with several students. Those students then go forth and apply that message to various aspects of their lives and in turn that message and the actions it invokes impacts more circles of people. Perhaps, maybe one of those students holds onto that message for years to come and eventually inspires them to do something great that ultimately benefits many people.
Something similar to this could indeed happen, and it could happen because you dropped that something – that stone of truth, wisdom, righteousness – into a calm ocean surface and made giant waves with it. So you see, your words and actions have huge, enormous potential for growth and greatness.
Furthermore, your simple thoughts have large potential too! Thoughts are not merely thoughts, they are vibrations of energy. In some schools of thought, it is believed that through the power of focused thought, we can connect and create. Have you ever had a friend call you and express that they had been thinking about you shortly after you had been thinking about them? Somehow, your energy of your thoughts were connecting with that friend and prompted action that brought you further connection with one another. Have you ever been going through a difficult time and had friends and family tell you they were keeping you in their thoughts and prayers and you actually felt their intended thoughts and wishes? Or vice versa, have you ever intentionally sent someone thoughts and prayers when they were going through a difficult time only to later hear that they felt supported by you within that time? Here again, our thoughts are intentionally being sent out, being received, being processed, and sparking connection.
This is not to say that simply thinking positive, happy thoughts is enough to promote change and harmony within our world. Using our voices and taking actions are of the utmost important within our societies and within our own circles of family and friends. Your thoughts, however, are powerful tools we also have access to for changing and creating.
Often, it is far too easy to doubt ourselves, to think ourselves too small, to believe that we are unable to make real and true impact in our time here on earth. The truth is, however, that we are each powerful beings with every ability to touch this world in small and big ways. All you have to do now is to believe. So moving forward, believe in your worth, believe in your strength, believe in your power. Think, speak, and act. Go on and make waves.
Johnny La Pasta 