Do This....And You Will Change Your Life And Others Lives' Forever! It Has Serious Ripple Effect!
Do this......and you will change your life and others lives' forever! The ripple effect is endless.
Sometimes in life, an event can shift the way you see the world in such a subtle yet profound way. This was a day that helped renew the way I think and has caused a ripple effect.
After spending a long day tinkering with our pontoon boat, trying to solve a starting issue, we finally determined it was fixed. Replacing all the gas lines had "solved" the issue. We took it for many test runs and determined it was safe. Tired and ready to relax we set sail across the lake to a little outdoor restaurant/bar that overlooks the water (Wolfies). My husband and I had our two youngest children and two of their friends with us. We had a peaceful meal overlooking Cayuga Lake in upstate New York. The weather and meal were perfect. However, as with all perfect tales, the story doesn't end there. When our meal was over we headed back to the boat. We were tired, ready to be home, and we were done for the day. We hopped on the boat and turned the key.......NOTHING...... the boat was turning over but would not start. Our knowing eyes met one another's with despair. We both knew what this meant. If it didn't start up right away, it wasn't going to. Still hopeful, my husband began the process of hanging upside down over the motor adjusting, blowing out lines, asking me to retrieve tools, turning the engine over and over and over again. NOTHING. Sitting just below the restaurant outdoor deck was not helping our peace. We knew the sound of the engine turning over could be stealing from the comfort of patrons enjoying their meal. The pressure was mounting as the kids began questioning us, our older sons weren't answering their phones, one of our guest riders had a timeline to meet and to put it simply, we were just at a level ZERO in our hope and energy. We felt like we were in a pressure cooker ready to spew!
Suddenly a man was standing on the dock at the side of the boat. We didn't notice his approach. It was his voice that caught our attention. He said, "I see you're having trouble with the boat. I've been there, done that. Listen I can't watch you struggle anymore (he said this 3 times). I'll do whatever you need. I live less than a mile down the way. I can go get you a vehicle. It won't take me long. Let's see, six of you? You can drive the vehicle home, call it a day, and deal with this tomorrow. Just bring it back and leave it here in the morning."
My husband and I just looked at each other knowing what the other was thinking. "Should we? My gosh it would be nice to just go home. Is it right to accept this offer? It's uncomfortable to accept help from strangers sometimes." We continued to exchange with this man and glance at one another. Without any words, our eye gaze confirmed we both wanted to accept the help. And so we did.
The stranger walked away stating he would be right back. My husband and I began packing up our belongings and the kids. Upon return, we saw the man round the corner of the restaurant and we walked toward him. As we made our way towards the road, we both looked at one another as we saw a brand new 2500 Denali pick up truck sitting waiting for us running with the air all fired up!
We were speechless. We had previously asked the man if he wanted a drivers license, our address, phone number, money.....NOTHING. He didn't even ask our name.
And so we pulled away awestruck.
This act of kindness and the act of trust in humankind is what floored me and changed me forever. Our hearts and minds were swelled. We were forever going to make an effort to do better. Not only an effort, it became an internal drive (and somewhat of a comical competition between my husband and myself). At dinner, it was no longer "How was your day?", it was "So what did you do for someone today?" It was contagious as well. Not only were the children effected but I shared this with a few friends of mine and they too are all about making this world a kinder, more trustworthy place to live.
The most interesting thing to think about is the fact that he gained nothing from this.... or did he?
How has this has effected us:
1. We look for and therefore see need... sometimes just a smile to a passing fellow soul.
2. We CHOSE to take action... offer what we can.
3. We have found simple acts of kindness are what makes our days the brightest. It's always the highlight of the day.
4. We feel compelled to do and be better humans.
5. We feel more blessed and grateful (we gain, and therefore so did he.)
This one kind deed has caused a ripple effect that can help uplift many lives. I continue to hear stories from those I know about their kind deeds (all stemming from the one on this day..... and I can only imagine how those acts have turned into more acts of kindness....)
Tap into your ONENESS with all others. Connect with your fellow humans and lift yourself up simultaneously. Like one drip of water can ripple out endlessly into the water....so can one act of kindness inspire others and effect the lives of many people. Do something today! Just one small thing. A small act has the same ripple effect as this "riskier", act of kindness did for us.
My challenge to you is to SHARE this message on Facebook and help inspire change in our world. Look for opportunity and act. Help inspire others with sharing your story of someone who has been kind to you or if you had an opportunity to lift up another. Please share in the comments below or on Facebook. JUST by sharing this you will create a ripple effect that helps others.
Consider yourself part of ONE great whole, humankind.
Cindy