Showing posts with label wave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wave. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Creating a Wave


"The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt." -Frederick Buechner

If you take even the smallest amount of time out from your day to help another person, well it is always a great thing. There will be different points in our lives when opportunity comes come along to do just that, help another person.

There is a great commercial that depicts these "opportunities" and shows them occuring in the most mundane ways. I would hesitate and state that commercials are not necessarily the best forum to learn about life. Yet at times, advertisements can teach us basic principles about living even though the intent is to sell us something. It is really no different than me writing about ways to live life I would suppose.

But beyond that, this particular commercial is from an insurance company entitled "Responsibility". The advertisement is from an insurance company called Liberty Mutual. They have a few versions of this but it primarily depicts one person making a choice to do one thing for another person. Others notice and it starts a ripple effect of others helping others.

In previous articles I have written of this same thing, this "ripple effect" of choices and actions you take in life. It is like a pebble dropped in the water. Small vibrations of water begin to flow out from this one seemingly insignificant pebble. As the ripple continues to move out further, the vibrations grow into waves that eventually create a great wave breaking at waters edge.

You can have this same impact in life, with small actions such as helping others. Your actions will be noticed and be carried by others further and further. It is unlikely that you will see the large wave on the outer edges. Sometimes you do and it is a wonderful feeling. But even if you do not, grab the vision that it does occur.

Like surfers riding atop these giant waves crashing with final impact upon the beach, your own simple movement results in waves of final impact on a greater world. Others will ride this wave of movement to a destination of greatness. The great thing about it is your actions create the same thing in others.

Other people will create pebbles in the water with circles of change moving out from their own center. You will get the ability to ride those waves to greatness when they come along.

Some might say that it creates a rough pool of water. Yet my belief is that calm water means the boat remains still, motionless with little chance of getting anywhere. But a breeze comes along and the boat begins to move, your movement begins and waves begin to form.

Change begins and your life will never be the same for you are moving towards something great. Create waves in your life by helping others and than catch the waves of change which come back your way.

Stay inspired my friends.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Fedora Hat


"And all your future lies beneath your hat." -John Oldham

He stood there, a man standing on the gravel drive way. He was near the house about half-way down towards the country road. I remember him as being tall and statuesque in his pressed pants and starched white shirt. The top button of his shirt was undone with no tie, the sleeves partly rolled up. His round wire-rim glasses reflected the afternoon sun as he smiled his wide smile towards me.

What I remember most is the fedora hat that covered his mostly bald head. It was probaby an attempt to keep his Irish skin from turning red. But he lifted his hat and waved to me. A gesture that seemed so comforting to me. A gesture that I believed was meant only for me, his grandson.

I was only five years-old at the time. As I stood in the open door-way of the corn crib, it seemed I had known Grandpa Gale for a lifetime. I guess I had known him for all of my five years, but it seemed much longer. And now the wave of his hat seemed to say it would soon be over.

Soon Grandma and Grandpa would be moving to California. It would be quite a bit of time before I would see them again. So this final wave seemed to be telling me everything I needed to know. All that would guide me in life was in the wave of the hat, telling me everything would be fine.

It is an image that I can recall clearly in my mind to this very day. At the time so many years ago, I am sure the full impact was furthest from my mind. But as I recall the day, the moment, the image, I fully know that Grandpa was giving me his final bit of advice. A year later he would die in that far away place called California. A heart attack would take him from so many. Death would replace him with memories.

As I look back and recall that day, I am sure that regardless of what happens to me, everything will be okay. The wave of his hat telling me everything would be okay. It is an image he left for me, that I can go back and remind myself that yes, everything will be okay.

When even the cruelest of life's circumstance enters your day, think of Grandpa Gale and the wave of his hat. A smile given to tell you that things will get better; that life for you will be okay. Grandpa would want it that way not only for me, but for you as well.