1 million people positively affected (by you!)

photo Paul Tridon

One day I was feeling dispirited about various things I was trying to get going. I was feeling that not only was I failing, but I was doing so for selfish reasons. I was struggling to fulfill my dreams, which were personal to only me, and that made my struggle feel so worthless. I needed a reason to continue to push against my fears and limitations, a really big reason that was about more than me. I needed something outside of me to help me get out of my head and back into my heart.

As I meditated, I got an answer that both lifted me up and has continued to motivate me. I heard that when you follow your passions, when you dive in head first and go for what you want in life, you positively impact one million people. At first I couldn't believe it. How could anything I do affect that many people? But then I realized, everything we do reaches far beyond what we see through the ripple affect. I could see how if I was feeling inspired, passionate and a spontaneous sense of  joy for life I would be sending out a wave that would create a high vibrating energy farther than I could imagine.

It's like when something really good has just happened to you and you're bursting out of your skin with joy and excitement. As you go through your day and you tell people how you feel and why, you effortlessly inspire other people to find their own way to those amazing feelings. Or maybe they just feel a little happier, a little more hopeful than they did before. And they share that glimmer of hope with someone, and that person shares the hope they gained, and so on. Take a moment to think of a time when you really felt inspired and passionate. How did it feel when you talked to other people about it? Did they seem to raise in their energy also? Have you asked yourself how many people they shared that inspiration with? Take a moment to try and imagine just how far your moment of THIS IS AMAZING! really went.

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Photo Frank Kovalchek

You don't have to be exploding with joy and enthusiasm to make a difference though. I've noticed that I sometimes have the most impact when I'm scared and going forward anyway. When I face what I thought I couldn't do, and share that with someone, I can see in their eyes thoughts of what they might try. Every step you take affirms to someone, somewhere, that it's possible they can take a step also. There is no step too small, no action you take too insignificant, to affect a lot of people. Even just showing up somewhere, being yourself and sharing your truth is enough to ripple out and impact this world.

So if you are feeling disheartened or afraid, try thinking about breaking through a limitation not for yourself, but for the MILLION people who will be positively affected in some way through the ripple affect. Try meditating on this today and see how you feel.

And please, scroll back to the top of the photo of the guy on the wire. That guy is doing nothing more than what he loves. How many people walk down the street, delighted by what he's doing? How many smiles does he create? Smiling reduces stress, improves the immune system, lowers the heart rate, relaxes the body and just makes a person feel more open. Now imagine some people see him, they smile, and they de-stress a little. They slow down and think I like this guy. He's funny. And for that moment, they forget their troubles and feel good. And they share that good feeling without even thinking, perhaps smiling at some people on the street, or leaving a little extra tip at the local coffee shop... and that's how easy it is to do something that spreads to one million people.... or maybe more... who knows how big of a ripple you'll set off today?

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