Welcome to your reflective meditation.
Find a comfy place to sit,
Or if you'd prefer,
You can experience this one while taking a walk or petting your dog,
Maybe drinking a warm cup of tea.
Whatever is calming and brings you more into the present moment.
Just be sure you're still here with the practice itself.
Take a few deep breaths to arrive in this moment.
Let's reflect together.
I often hear people say they don't feel like they can make a real difference because they're only one person.
Although that kind of thinking keeps us playing small,
There is some validity to it that I'd like to acknowledge.
If you create something,
Or write something,
Or do something,
Will it reach every human being on the planet?
There's a high probability the answer would be no.
It's true that we can't steer all people in the direction that we want humanity to go in,
But when we think about it,
We have to ask ourselves a few questions before we let the no stop us.
Is making a difference only worth it if it changes the whole world?
Or does it also count if you help to change one person's world?
Should we stop ourselves from doing something if it doesn't make a global impact?
How do we know that the small decision we make today won't eventually lead to an actual global impact?
Tiny little changes that affect our own world can have an immensely positive impact on the people around us.
So many of us stop ourselves before we even get started because we think small things won't make a difference.
But small,
Intentional choices can lead to huge transformations over time.
The neighbor who brings your trash cans in while you're on vacation?
That neighbor made a difference in your day,
Which maybe made you smile,
Which could have brightened your day enough that you smiled at a stranger who needed a little light in their life.
The babysitter who cleans the dirty dishes in the sink without being asked to?
They make a difference in a busy mom and dad's life,
Which maybe eases the parents' stress and in turn gives them time to connect with their kids in a different way,
Possibly creating a lasting memory one of the kids will look back on fondly as they grow older.
When we share small moments of support,
We aren't trying to make something happen.
We aren't controlling an outcome or forcing someone to receive it the way we hope they will.
We aren't measuring the impact and judging ourselves for how well that action is quote unquote performing.
Making a difference in just one person's life might lead them to becoming the best version of themselves,
Even if you never know just how impactful your support was.
We choose to show up in these ways because we want to,
And maybe it even helps to shift our own inner landscape a little,
Or a lot,
When we simply can be of service to others.
And that alone can be a wonderful reason to do something small for someone else.
You don't have to change the entire world to make the world a better place.
Sometimes when we care deeply,
It can feel like too much.
The problems of the world are too big to solve.
There are too many different opinions,
And there's no way to bring everyone together in harmony.
And again,
Yes,
Those things can be true,
And at the same time,
Saying hi to someone that you walk by just might change their whole day around.
The world is now a better place,
Even if it's just a fraction of a percentage better.
It's still better.
Your actions have power.
And when you choose to care about others,
When you choose to help one person out,
When you choose to listen to how others can be supported,
And then act on those small opportunities to be that support,
It creates an impact.
The way you speak to someone,
The way you choose presence with the people you love instead of distraction,
The way you ask questions instead of reacting or trying to convince,
The way you slow down just enough to ask,
How can I help?
These things matter,
More than you've probably realized or given them credit for.
Every person you interact with carries that interaction into their next moment.
And the way that they behave in that next moment is carried into their next one,
Which can affect the people around them.
And then those people carry the interactions into their next moments.
What you share has a ripple effect.
So ask yourself,
What kind of ripple effect do I want to create?
Maybe it's a calm energy.
Maybe it's kindness or compassion.
Maybe it's love and understanding.
Maybe it's simply being human,
Sharing your vulnerability so that somebody else knows it's safe for them to be real too.
Take a moment to think about what kind of ripple effect you want to create.
Just know that you won't be perfect at it all the time,
And that's okay.
But the more that you actively move through your day with intentionality,
The bigger difference you can make.
You don't need to have everything figured out.
You don't need to be your quote-unquote best self all the time.
You just need simple,
Little moments that can shift the energy of your world,
Which will shift the energy for those you surround yourself with.
These are the little moments where you choose a slightly more curious and understanding presence,
A slightly kinder response,
A slightly more aware and present version of yourself.
Now,
Think of one small way,
Just one,
That you can make the world a tiny bit better today.
Not super far in the future when you have it all figured out,
But today.
Maybe it's sending a message to a friend that you've been thinking about.
Maybe it's making eye contact with the person who's bagging your groceries and asking them how their day is going.
Maybe it's giving someone the benefit of the doubt.
Maybe it's being kinder to yourself so you don't carry extra harshness into your day.
Just something simple,
Something doable.
Think of the one small way that you can make the world a tiny bit better today.
Please know that you already have everything you need to do that.
You don't need more time,
Or expertise,
Or money,
Or permission.
You don't have to become someone completely different than who you already are.
You just have to make a small decision to be a helper,
Even if it's in the background.
Take a deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Imagine yourself actually doing that one small thing.
This is how the world changes.
It won't change all at once,
It won't change because of force,
And you don't have to wait for things to be falling into place,
So to speak,
Before you start making small differences.
The world will change through people like you choosing,
Again and again,
To show up with intention.
You absolutely have the power to make the world a better place.
You don't have to do everything,
But what you do matters.
It makes a difference.
You matter,
And you can have a beautiful effect on the world around you.
Your energy ripples out and can make an impact,
So much more than you might think.
Take another deep breath in,
And a long,
Slow exhale.
When you're ready,
Move back into your day,
And go create a small ripple in the ocean of energy around you.
I look forward to our next practice together.
