Latest / The Growth Mindset Book Podcast: Ideas That Change the Way You Think / The Ripple Effect: How One Person Can Change Thousands of Lives

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The Ripple Effect: How One Person Can Change Thousands of Lives · The Growth Mindset Book Podcast: Ideas That Change the Way You Think

• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: I was thinking about something the other day and I wanted to share it with you because I think it's something we probably don't give nearly enough thought to.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever wondered how many people's lives you've influenced without even knowing it?
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, think about all the people you've come in contact with over the years: people you've worked with, friends you've had, family members, people you've gone to school with, and even complete strangers.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: How many conversations have you had?
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: How many times have you encouraged somebody, helped somebody, or maybe just made somebody smile when they were having a difficult day?
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: And how would you ever know what happened after that?
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you said something to somebody 10 or 15 years ago that they still remember today.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you encouraged somebody who was ready to give up on something, and because of that conversation, they decided to give it another try.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you did something kind for somebody who was having a really difficult day, and they went home feeling a little better about themselves.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: And then maybe they did something nice for somebody else because of how you made them feel.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever thought about that?
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: How something you did for one person could end up affecting people you've never even met?
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: That's what I want to talk about today.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's something called the ripple effect.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I absolutely love this idea because it reminds us that we don't have to do something enormous to make a difference in the world.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it's the little things we do, the things we don't even think twice about that end up meaning the most to somebody else.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: You know, when I think about the ripple effect, I picture somebody standing beside a lake on a beautiful, calm morning.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: The water is completely still, and they pick up a little stone and toss it into the water.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: Now, you've seen what happens, right?
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: The stone hits the water and these little circles start moving outward, and they keep going farther and farther away from where the stone landed.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I think the things we do for other people can work the same way.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: Something that seems pretty small to us can end up having an influence that goes a whole lot farther than we ever imagined.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Let me give you an example.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine a young man who's having a really difficult time.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe he's struggling in school, maybe things aren't going well at home, or maybe he just doesn't feel very good about himself.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: And one day, somebody he respects takes a few minutes to talk to him.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's a teacher, a coach, or somebody he works with.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: And this person looks at him and says, You know something?
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: I think you're capable of a whole lot more than you realize.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: I really do.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the person who said that might not think much of it.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: They go on with their day, and maybe a week later they don't even remember having the conversation.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: But the young man remembers it.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Because maybe nobody had ever said something like that to him before.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe he'd spent years hearing about everything he was doing wrong, and suddenly somebody he respected was telling him they saw something good in him.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe that conversation gets him thinking.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe he starts looking at himself a little differently.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: He starts putting more effort into things.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: He becomes a little more willing to try something new.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: And over time, he begins developing confidence that he didn't have before.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: Now, imagine that years later he becomes a teacher or a coach himself, and he starts encouraging the people around him the same way somebody once encouraged him.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: Can you imagine how many people might eventually benefit from that one conversation?
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm using that as an example of what could happen, but I'm sure you've had somebody in your own life who made a difference in the way you saw yourself.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it was a parent, a teacher, a friend, or somebody you worked with.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: They said something to you or they believed in you at a time when you weren't really believing in yourself.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: And for whatever reason, you never forgot it.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you can still remember exactly where you were when that conversation happened.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I wonder if that person knows how much they influenced you.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever told them?
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Because there's a pretty good chance they have no idea.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: And that's one of the things I love about this whole idea.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: We don't always get to see what happens because of something we said or did.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: We might help somebody, encourage somebody, or simply make somebody feel appreciated, and then we go on with our day.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: We have no idea what happens afterward, but that doesn't mean it didn't matter.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: Think about the last time somebody did something unexpectedly nice for you.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe somebody sent you a message just to see how you were doing.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe somebody paid you a compliment when you weren't expecting it.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe somebody helped you with something without you even having to ask.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: How did that make you feel?
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: Pretty good, right?
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: And didn't that feeling stay with you for a little while?
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you were a little more patient with somebody later that day.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you were in a better mood when you got home.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you felt like doing something nice for somebody else.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: And that person might never know that their little act of kindness influenced anything beyond that moment.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I think it's important to recognize that this works both ways.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: We've all had those days when somebody says something to us that really gets under our skin.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe somebody cuts us off in traffic, somebody speaks to us rudely, or somebody at work is having a bad day and takes it out on us.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: And what happens?
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we carry that frustration around with us.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: We get home and we're a little short with somebody we love.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Or we go into the next meeting already annoyed and somebody else ends up dealing with our bad mood.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure we've all done that at one time or another.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: I know how easy it can be to let one frustrating moment affect the rest of the day.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: But what if we made a decision that we weren't going to pass that frustration along?
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: What if somebody was rude to us, and instead of being rude to the next person, we decided to be a little kinder.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: We can't control how other people treat us, but we do have a say in what we do next.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's worth remembering, because sometimes one of the nicest things we can do for the people around us is simply not pass along the negativity we've received from somebody else.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you listen to my episode on the three Gs, God, gratitude, and giving, you'll remember that I talked about a principle I really believe in.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever you want more of in your life, begin by giving it to somebody else.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: If you want more love, give love.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: If you want more happiness, look for ways to make somebody else happy.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: If you want more peace, try to bring a little more peace into the lives of the people around you.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: And when you start doing that, you're not just helping yourself feel better, you're giving somebody else something they can carry into the rest of their day.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: Let's say you decide to call an old friend you haven't spoken to in a while.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need anything from them, you're not calling to ask for a favor, you just happen to be thinking about them.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: So you pick up the phone and say, Hey, how are you doing?
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: I was thinking about you today and I wanted to see how everything's going.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: Now, maybe they're having a wonderful day already and they're happy to hear from you, but maybe they're not.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're going through something difficult that you know absolutely nothing about.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they've been feeling a little lonely, or maybe they've had a really tough week, and all of a sudden their phone rings, and it's somebody who cares enough to call just to see how they're doing.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: Wouldn't that be a nice feeling?
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: And you might never know how much that phone call meant to them.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: They might not tell you, but maybe later that day they decide to call somebody else, and maybe that person does the same thing.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: It's amazing to think about how something so simple could travel so far.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: And the beautiful thing is, none of this requires money.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to be wealthy, you don't have to be successful, you don't have to be in some important position.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: You just have to care enough to do something for another person.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: One of the things I think we could all do more often is encourage people.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean genuinely encourage them.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: Not just tell somebody they're wonderful because it sounds nice, but actually notice something good about them and let them know you see it.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe somebody you work with did a great job handling a difficult situation.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: Tell them.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe your child has been working really hard at something, even though they're not getting the results they want yet.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: Let them know you're proud of their effort.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you've got a friend who's been dealing with a lot lately, and you've noticed how well they've been handling things.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: Tell them you admire that.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: Because people hear about what they're doing wrong all the time, don't they?
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: Everybody seems to have an opinion about what somebody else should be doing differently.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: But how often do people hear that they're appreciated?
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: How often does somebody stop and say, you know what?
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: I really admire the way you handled that.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: I just wanted you to know.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: I think those words can mean an awful lot.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: And let me ask you something.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: How many times have you thought something really nice about somebody, but never actually told them?
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you admire the way somebody treats their family.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you appreciate how hard somebody works.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you think somebody has a wonderful way of making people feel comfortable.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: You've noticed it, you've thought about it, but have you ever said anything?
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: Why not?
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think sometimes we assume people already know how we feel about them, but maybe they don't.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: And wouldn't it be a shame if somebody went through their entire life never knowing how much they were appreciated by the people around them?
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe the next time you notice something wonderful about somebody, just tell them.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to make a big production out of it.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: Just say it.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, I really appreciate what you did.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: Or, you know, I admire the way you treat people.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Or I just wanted to tell you how much you mean to me.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: Those are pretty simple things to say, but they can mean so much to the person hearing them.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: I also think about how often we meet people who are carrying around things we know absolutely nothing about.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's somebody at the grocery store, somebody sitting next to us on an airplane, or somebody we work with every day.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: We see them, we talk to them, and we assume everything's fine because they seem fine.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: But how do we know?
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe somebody they love is sick.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're worried about money.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're dealing with something at home.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're just having one of those days when everything seems to be going wrong.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: And we have no idea.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: So what if we approached people with a little more patience and understanding?
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: What if we gave somebody the benefit of the doubt instead of immediately assuming the worst?
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: What if we made an effort to be kind, even when we didn't particularly feel like it?
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: You never know what somebody else is dealing with, and sometimes a little kindness can make their day just a bit easier.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: Now, there's another part of this that I think is especially important, and that's the example we're setting for other people.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: Think about children for a moment.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: Kids are constantly watching what the adults around them do.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: They're watching how we speak to people, how we handle frustration, how we treat somebody who can't do anything for us, and how we respond when things don't go our way.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes I think they learn more from watching us than they do from listening to what we tell them.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: You can tell a child a hundred times that it's important to be kind, but when they actually see you being kind to somebody, they're learning what kindness looks like.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: You can tell them it's important to help people, but when they see you stop what you're doing to help somebody who needs it, they're seeing that principle in action.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: And what happens when they grow up?
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they begin treating other people the same way.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe one day they have children of their own, and those children learn from watching them.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: Think about how far that influence could travel.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_00: You might never meet some of the people whose lives are affected by the example you're setting today, but that doesn't make the example any less important.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I think this applies to all of us, whether we're parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, leaders, or just somebody who interacts with other people every day.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: People are watching how we live.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't mean that in a way that should make us feel pressured to be perfect.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: Nobody's perfect.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: We're all going to make mistakes.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: We're all going to have bad days.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: But I do think it's worth asking ourselves what kind of example we're setting most of the time?
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: Are we the kind of person who makes people feel better after spending time with us?
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: Are we somebody who encourages others?
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: Do we make people feel appreciated?
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: Do we look for opportunities to help?
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: Those are questions I think are worth asking.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: And there's something else I've noticed about people.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we don't recognize how much influence we have because we think making a difference means doing something enormous.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: We look at somebody who has donated millions of dollars, built an incredible charity, or helped thousands of people, and we think, well, that's wonderful, but I can't do anything like that.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: But who says you have to?
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: Who says making a difference has to involve a lot of money or some extraordinary accomplishment?
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you can't help a thousand people today, but could you help one?
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: Could you make one person feel appreciated?
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: Could you encourage somebody who's struggling?
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: Could you spend a little time with somebody who's lonely?
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: Could you do something nice for somebody who isn't expecting it?
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: Of course you could.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's where we sometimes make this whole idea more complicated than it needs to be.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: We get so caught up thinking about what we can't do that we overlook the wonderful things we can do.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to change the entire world today, but maybe you can make one person's world a little better.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's a pretty wonderful place to begin.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I want you to think about somebody who made a difference in your own life.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: It could be somebody from when you were a child, somebody you worked with years ago, or somebody who's still part of your life today.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they believed in you when you weren't believing in yourself.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they gave you an opportunity.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they helped you through something difficult.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe they just treated you with kindness at a time when you really needed it.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: Take a moment and think about that person.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: Can you remember what they did for you?
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: Can you remember how they made you feel?
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if that person is still around, have you ever told them how much they meant to you?
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: Because if you haven't, I'd love for you to think about doing that.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine getting a phone call from somebody you haven't spoken to in years, and they say, Hey, I was thinking about you today and I wanted to tell you something.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: You probably don't even remember this, but years ago you did something for me that really made a difference in my life.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: And I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate it.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: How would you feel if somebody called you and said that?
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: Wouldn't that be wonderful?
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_00: And imagine how the person receiving that call might feel.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they've been wondering whether some of the things they've done in their life really mattered.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they've been feeling a little discouraged.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: And suddenly somebody reaches out to tell them that something they did years ago made a difference.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: I think that could be a pretty meaningful conversation for both people.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: And it's funny because by thanking somebody for the difference they made in your life, you're now doing something that could make a difference in theirs.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: I also believe that sometimes God places people in our lives for reasons we may not fully understand at the time.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe somebody comes along with exactly the encouragement we need.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe we meet somebody who helps us see a possibility we hadn't considered.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe we happen to be in the right place to help somebody who's going through a difficult time.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: I can't tell you that every encounter has some hidden meaning, and I don't think we need to figure out why every person crosses our path, but I do believe God can work through people.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it's worth paying attention when we have an opportunity to do something good for somebody else.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever had somebody pop into your mind out of nowhere?
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's a friend you haven't spoken to in months, or somebody you used to work with.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: You think about them for a moment, and then you get busy and forget all about it.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: Well, what if the next time that happens, you simply reach out?
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need some elaborate reason.
• 18:55
  SPEAKER_00: You can just say, hey, you crossed my mind today.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: How are you doing?
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe nothing extraordinary happens.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you just have a nice conversation, and that's perfectly fine.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_00: But maybe that conversation means more than you realize.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: And wouldn't it be a shame to miss an opportunity to connect with somebody simply because we were too busy to take a few minutes?
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: You know, when I think about all the books we've been discussing on this podcast, the books about mindset, success, personal growth, and becoming a better version of ourselves, I think there's something we should remember.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: All of this work we're doing on ourselves doesn't have to be just about ourselves.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: Think about it, when you become more patient, the people around you benefit.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: When you become more encouraging, the people you interact with benefit.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: When you become more grateful, more generous, and more thoughtful, you're not the only person who experiences the difference.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: The people around you do too.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe they begin treating other people a little differently because of the way you've treated them.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: So when we work on becoming better people, we're not necessarily just improving our own lives.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: We may also be improving the lives of the people who come in contact with us.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's a wonderful reason to keep growing.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_00: Because what good is becoming incredibly successful if we never use any of that success to make somebody else's life better?
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: What good is learning all these wonderful principles if we never share them?
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: And what good is becoming more confident, more knowledgeable, or more capable if we never use those qualities to help somebody who could benefit from them?
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think personal growth should stop with the person doing the growing.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: I think some of the greatest rewards come when we take what we've learned and use it to make a difference for somebody else.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_00: And that brings me to something I'd love for you to try.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: For the next seven days, I want you to begin each morning by asking yourself one simple question.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_00: Whose life can I make a little better today?
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_00: That's it.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: And don't make it complicated.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to come up with something extraordinary.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you send somebody an encouraging message.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you thank somebody who rarely gets appreciated.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you call an old friend.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you do something nice for a stranger.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_00: Just look for one opportunity each day to make somebody else's life a little better.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: And when you do it, pay attention to how you feel.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think you're going to discover that there's something really rewarding about making somebody else happy.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we spend so much time thinking about what we need, what we want, and what we're trying to accomplish that we forget how good it feels to do something for another person.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't want you to misunderstand me.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_00: There's nothing wrong with having goals.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: There's nothing wrong with wanting to be successful or wanting more for yourself and your family.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: I think those are wonderful things.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: But I also believe that when we make giving part of the way we live, we begin experiencing a different kind of fulfillment.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's the feeling you get when you know you've helped somebody, when you know you've made somebody smile, when you know you've made a Difficult day a little easier for another person.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes that's a much greater reward than anything you could have received in return.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now, there's one more thing I want you to remember as you begin doing this.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: Don't keep score.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_00: Don't do something nice for somebody and then spend the next three days wondering why they haven't thanked you.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: Don't help somebody because you're expecting them to do something for you later.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: Just give.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_00: Give because you want to.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_00: Give because somebody needs it.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: Give because it's the right thing to do.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_00: And understand that sometimes you're never going to know what happened because of your kindness.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you encourage somebody and they don't seem particularly interested.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you help somebody and never hear from them again.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you do something thoughtful and the person barely acknowledges it.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's okay.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to see some enormous result every time you do something good.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_00: And you certainly don't need applause.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: Because if we're only giving to receive recognition, I think we're missing something important.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_00: I believe the real beauty of giving is that we can make a positive difference without needing anything in return.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_00: And that brings me back to the little stone we talked about earlier.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: Picture that lake again.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_00: The water is calm and you toss a little stone into it.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: You watch the circles begin moving outward.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_00: At first, you can see them clearly, but as they travel farther away, they become harder to see.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: Eventually, you can't see them anymore.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: Now, just because you can't see those ripples anymore doesn't mean the stone never touched the water.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's a beautiful way to look at the good we do for other people.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_00: We might never know how far our kindness traveled.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_00: We might never know whether a conversation we had encouraged somebody to make a different decision.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_00: We might never know how many people were eventually affected by something we did years ago.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_00: But we don't have to know.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_00: We can simply keep looking for opportunities to do good.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to imagine something for a moment.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_00: What if everybody listening to this podcast decided to do one thoughtful thing for somebody today?
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: Just one?
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_00: And what if some of those people felt inspired to do something nice for somebody else?
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_00: And then some of those people did the same thing.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now, we can't know exactly how far those acts of kindness would travel, but isn't it wonderful to think about how much good could begin with something so simple?
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_00: One encouraging word, one phone call, one thoughtful gesture, one person deciding to make somebody else's day a little better.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I think sometimes we forget that we all have the ability to do those things.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_00: You don't need to be famous, you don't need to be wealthy, you don't need to have some extraordinary talent.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_00: You just need to care.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: So before you get caught up in everything you've got to do today, I'd love for you to think about one person you could make a difference for.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe somebody's already come to mind while you've been listening.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_00: If they have, why not reach out?
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_00: Send the message, make the call, tell them you appreciate them, do something kind.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_00: And if you don't have anybody in mind right now, that's okay.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_00: Just keep your eyes open as you go through your day.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: I have a feeling you'll find an opportunity.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_00: Because I believe we come across opportunities to make a difference all the time.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_00: We just don't always recognize them.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I'd love for you to begin recognizing more of them.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: You know, someday, when we look back on our lives, I don't think we're going to measure everything that mattered by how much money we made, how many things we owned, or how many accomplishments we could put next to our names.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_00: I think we're also going to remember the people we loved, the people who helped us, the experiences we shared, and the times we were able to make somebody else's life a little better.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_00: And wouldn't it be wonderful to know that along the way, we helped some people believe in themselves, made some difficult days a little easier, and gave people reasons to smile?
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_00: We might never know how many people were influenced by the things we did.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_00: And that's okay.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_00: Because we don't have to know how far the ripples travel to know that the little stone we tossed into the water mattered.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_00: So here's what I'd love for you to take away from our conversation today.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to change the entire world.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_00: Just look for an opportunity to make somebody's world a little better.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_00: And then do it again tomorrow.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_00: And the next day.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: Because you never know how much good can begin with one simple act of kindness.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_00: And if we can all begin doing a little more of that, I think we'll be making the world a much nicer place to live.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_00: And wouldn't that be something worth doing?