So it’s a new year.  A fresh set of 365 days to jump into. So what will we do with them? The scariest thing for me at least is that if I fill every 24 hour chunk with productive work and activity will it matter to anyone other than myself?

Now that I’m a few months into my 69th year I’ve made a realization which I would like to share with everyone– if you will allow me to get philosophical for a moment.

You throw a pebble into the water.  Then you watch the pebble sink.  And the pebble disappears from view.  You think to yourself, “That’s it?  I picked up that pebble, threw it, and it just sinks out of sight?”

Well, yes, that is what happens when an action is taken.  But watch carefully after you throw that stone.  Once it cuts through the water and sinks an interesting thing happens on the surface.

Ripples appear and they flow outward from the point where the pebble broke the water surface.  In most cases the ripples are circular and flow outward in every direction. From our perspective all we see is the tiny rock sinking. We never pay attention to the slight ripples of water as they disrupt the water surface while flowing outward. And who knows what effect those ripples are having as they spread out?

This might not be the most profound thought you’ve ever encountered but for me it justifies the pebbles I throw every day.  Each action I take has a ripple reaction that is affecting the world around me.

How it affects the people, places and things around me is invisible or so slight it will go beyond my notice.  I just need to know that it does and as long as I’m not throwing a poisonous pebble then the end result is probably going to be OK.

So my advice is: go throw a pebble…or a rock…or a stone.

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