The Ripple Effect: how to be the change in a turbulent world

Kelly Wagner
Mar 16
3 min read

Updated: Aug 3

We all feel the undercurrent of worry in the world right now.

While many of us were still struggling to regain our balance in the wake of COVID, now we're also watching wars, wild weather, and groundswells of change happen in society, economics and politics.

It can feel scary—especially if you read the news too much.

Let’s remember why the popular newsroom phrase, “if it bleeds, it leads” continues to hold true:

scary news makes our fear-based ‘reptilian’ brains kick in, which -
keeps us reading (ever-vigilant for survival), which -
keeps the media in business, which -
keeps them printing scary headlines.

It creates a ripple effect of negativity that just...keeps...coming. No wonder we can feel overwhelmed and powerless.

So how do we break this cycle without burying our heads in the sand?

And more importantly:

How do we turn this time of upheaval into a time of positive transformation?

Too often, we make the mistake of thinking that only famous people or powerful leaders can change the world. We think, 'I'm just one person; I can’t make any kind of real impact.'

But that’s simply not true.

Every single thing we do in our lives—positive or negative—has a ripple effect. Every word, every act, and every thought sends a ripple of energy out into the world.

The corner-store clerk where I used to live always greeted customers with a smile and some friendly chit-chat. You might think that selling bread and potato chips isn’t changing the world, but I always felt a little lighter when I left that store.

My local pharmacist in that same neighbourhood would greet everyone with a big smile, call you by your first name, and would never let you leave without taking a candy. You’d go in to buy medicine, feeling sick, and his kindness always made you feel just a little bit better.

These people didn’t change the world in big, flashy ways, but they made you feel good, made you feel welcome, made you feel...loved.

And that’s how the world changes—one small ripple of love and kindness at a time.

What kind of ripple are you sending out?

It matters.

Your response in these times matters.

It’s time for you to ‘be the change’.

One part of the Tao Te Ching says this:

"Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water.

Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it.

The soft overcomes the hard; the gentle overcomes the rigid.

Everyone knows this is true, but few can put it into practice."

Kindness and gentleness are powerful. They can slowly wear down even the hardest problems, just like water can smooth a rough rock over time.

And what you focus on grows.

So to feel better, express gratitude every day for everything good in your life: the stars in the night sky, the sunrise, fresh air to breathe, the people you love and care about...alongside everything that’s troubling, there is still, also, always so much to be grateful for.

Not only will you feel less anxiety and worry when you focus on the good stuff, but you’ll also send positive energy out into the world too.

And the world needs you right now. Plus, it's easy, it doesn’t have to cost a thing, and without saying a word you’ll be encouraging more people to do the same.

Smile at a stranger.

Hold the door open for the person behind you.

Look with kindness into their eyes when you do.

Give someone a hug.

Say thank you.

These little actions make a big difference.

Right away you’ll both feel better, and remember: you may never see all the places your kindness goes, because it’s like a ripple in the water—once it's started, it spreads far and wide before it dissipates.

Every day, make it your deliberate intention to express love and kindness in the world; to be “...as soft and yielding as water..the soft <that> overcomes the hard; the gentle <that> overcomes the rigid”.

Quietly, slowly, surely, with every thought, every word, every action, our little ripples will spread far and wide. Together, they’ll merge with one another.

Effortlessly, ever-so-gently, we’ll set this world awash with love and kindness.

And even if your ripple effect never hits the headlines, it’s definitely the type of groundswell you want to be part of. Keep at it, every day, even when – especially when – the news makes you feel like it might not be working.

Because there are always at least two sides to every story, and their story is just the one that seems to keeps it alive.

Remember instead, as the famous anthropologist Margaret Mead said:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

xo💛