Create The Life You Want By Rippling - Lesson Four

I was being interviewed for a Podcast interview recently when my 8 year old son Zachary came into my office and plopped down in one of the chairs and just watched me. Ordinarily having him be in the same room during an interview would be a distraction to me but I was in my groove and so I didn't mind him hanging out.

I have to admit that I am a visual talker and use my hands a lot. I use them to illustrate or emphasize my points and it appears it doesn't matter whether you are sitting in front of me or talking to me from a thousand miles away, my hands are always going. My son finds this particularly amusing and has been known to make fun of me for using them so much when I am on the phone.

On this particular day I was talking about the tendency of people to approach life from a myopic point of view as opposed to looking at people with a wide view. I apparently circled up my hand with my forefinger and my thumb and put it to my eye....still unaware that the person on the other side of the line could not see my physical example. Zachary smiled as if to say there he goes again and left the room.

After I finished my call I immediately returned to my laptop to return some emails and in walked Zachary and he was holding an empty toilet paper roll. I was certain he was going to ask me to retrieve another roll of toilet paper from the upstairs closet for him but he plops it down and says one of the most profound things I have ever heard him say....

"You know Dad, people can't see you do what you do when you are on the phone. But when you made the circle I thought when you speak that you could use this as a better example." He took the tube and put it over his eye. "Don't you think this would give people a better idea of what you are talking about?"

It is funny how my boys are my best teachers.

So in honor of Zachary, the smartest 8 year old I know and a guy who is wise beyond his years I share today's lesson with you.

If you want to create the life you want you must absolutely, positively follow lesson number four which says.....don't look at the people who cross your path in life myopically. Don't narrow your focus on someone, widen it.

True Ripplers take it all in. They notice the little things that make a person unique and they drink them in like a fine wine. You see when you and I go about looking at someone through a small window of prejudgment or more to the point, the narrow view of the proverbial toilet paper roll, we only see a small part of a much bigger picture.

Keep your eyes, your mind and thoughts wide open and the world and the people in it, can and will amaze you.

Ripple On My Friends!

Steve Harper