We don't live in isolation, everything we do or another does has a ripple effect just like a stone dropped into a pool of water. We may not see the full effect but it is there, and we are influencing and being influenced by these ripples all of the time. Living with more awareness of what we are putting out into the world means we are also more aware of the ripple effect that comes from our movements or words and therefore we have a willingness to build a way of living that does not purposefully harm another. This way of living chooses to have more responsibility, not just because what we put out we get back (as with all ripples), but because we become aware that if we don't want this for ourselves then we would not want that for another.
There is no perfection here, simply a willingness to consider how our movements, physical, verbal and non-verbal, all create ripple effects.
Bringing more attention to the way we are living and how we are supporting ourselves raises our head above the swamp to see more clearly, just like the lily in a pond. As we see more clearly, we are able to offer ourselves an opportunity to make less emotionally reactive choices, and in time, respond to situations rather than react which is far less draining on the body and throws out less impact-full ripples for others to deal with.
Image by ki won yoo from Pixabay
