Making Ripples

From my last book, Organizing for the Spirit:

"I believe that every one of us has a personal mission - a mission to contribute something positive through being who we are. Woodrow Wilson said, "You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand"…According to George Bernard Shaw, "This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."

I've been thinking a lot about this lately.

Ever since we made our permanent move to Sedona last May, I've been considering opportunities to volunteer. There are so many possibilities, but I've been taking it slowly, working on my arm and trying to bring it up to par before I dedicate myself to something new. In the meantime, I wrote in my blog about an experience that Roy and I had with a young man we call D whom we recently met.

We received a call from D this morning, telling us that he had decided to write a letter of resignation today, and is beginning a new job tomorrow with an employer who is highly regarded by his crew. D also said that he had made a pledge to himself to earn his professional license by the new year. He thanked us for encouraging him to believe in himself.

He also told us that he was going to implement this new positive way of thinking as part of the soccer coaching he does, and in his interactions as a father and an uncle. He said that getting to know us has changed his life. And yet from our point of view, we did little more than pay attention to the quiet frustration of another human being.

So I was wondering…What if every one of us could try to do this? What if we picked only one individual we didn't know very well, and listened to him or her more closely? What would we hear? What might we be able to do for that person as a result?

And what if we chose one person every week? Many people would love to see just a quick smile during an otherwise trying day. Others could use simple words of praise. Some may need more substantial assistance. But you'll never know if you don't pay attention.

Roy and I seem to be drawn to talented craftspeople and artists who are devoted to their families. For whatever reasons, they're laboring in jobs where they're under-paid and under-appreciated. We enjoy being able to assist them in taking the next step forward.

This may be our special niche, at least for the present. But I know that making a difference in this way is hugely rewarding. It's like watching ripples spread when you toss a pebble into a lake. The ripples continue to move outward and you never know whose lives will be touched in the future because you took the time to pay attention to one person now.

Since everyone brings different abilities and attributes to the present moment, your contribution is special and one that only you can make. And you may not know what it will be until you take the time to really listen to the person in front of you, or next to you. There may be a reason why you're together at this moment in time.

Most of us want to make some sort of difference in the world during our lifetime. Our contributions in times of disaster are critical, but so are our smaller, everyday efforts to ease suffering and enrich the lives of others. (Those of us who are already full-time caretakers need to be more fully appreciated for that special role that has been taken on.)

I believe that what you take on in order to assist another is never insignificant. Trust that the ripples are going out, and that you are creating new waves that will lift you as well as others.

"We are each others' angels, we meet when it is time."
-- Chuck Brodsky