There is no greater bond than that of sharing good news and triumph
with others. If you have ever witnessed what is called the "Special
Olympics" you know what I mean. I have found tears in my eyes seeing kids
I didn't even know meet a challenge and overcome adversity to cross the
finish line.
For some of us it takes little effort to succeed at a given task,
while there are those of us who just have to keep plugging away. The
reason: we are not all blessed with the exact same ability. I have mine,
and you have yours. We are, by virtue of this fact, bound to one another.
I can't make it with my skills alone, I need you. This life's journey
is difficult many times, and that's when the "Ripple Effect" can be the
most beneficial. If I tell you how much I appreciate your just being part
of my world, that's surely going to lift you up. A warm smile, a loving
handshake or brief note of praise placed on your desk, will cause you to
feel better about yourself and then that feeling has a way of reaching out
and touching the lives of so many others.
May I suggest that we, just you and I, go around starting a "ripple
effect" in the lives of those with whom we work, go to school with, play
with, and live with.
Could it be that your wife, husband, children (child), teacher, boss,
friend, neighbor, penpal, classmate, community leader, police officers,
waitresses, and so many others we dare not try to name them all, need
someone to start a ripple in their lives. I so wish I could have started a
"ripple" in the hearts and lives of those young men in Colorado. What I'm
saying is, we need to abandon the "me generation" now, before we become
more distanced from the things that bind us together as a society and
world.
I confess to you now, I cannot make it on my own. If that seems weak
to you, I'm sorry. I still believe in the wonderful uniqueness of everyone
on this planet. Each of us holds such power to mold the nature of our
surroundings. Opportunities abound, the world is still going around, we
have today, this hour this minute; let's not waste a single moment.
Let us start the "Ripple Effect" with someone now. You cannot buy
this kind of happiness or fulfillment.
