Throw a pebble in a pond and you can watch the ripples radiating in ever larger circles. When the ripples reach the shore, they bounce back and begin to interact with other ripples, making some ripples bigger, and cancelling some out. Over time, the ripples, however large or small, seem to disappear, but their energy lives on, invisibly, in the stillness of the pond.

I see my actions, the things I say to others, the things I do, as so many pebbles in the pond. I know that the ripples that come from my positive thoughts and actions carry much more energy than the ripples that come from my negativity, anger, and judgment.

In my lifetime, I confess, I do hope to touch and uplift many people. However, on my dying day, even if I’ve lived a hundred years, if I can say that my ripples touched and lifted up just one child, or one person, or one family, I will know that my life has been worthwhile.