This week, I offer you what might sound a bit nutty but I strongly encourage you to give it a try.
Gather 5 or 6 small stones or pebbles, find a body of water, preferably with a fairly still surface, and slowly toss them in. If you can’t access a natural body of water, use smaller pebbles, along with your bathtub, sink, or even a pan of water.
Regarding the pebbles or stones, toss them one at a time. Note the rippling effect this causes. Toss a second pebble near the ripples caused by the first and watch as the ripples overlap. Be mindful, even meditative, as you perform this action.
The purpose of this exercise is to get you to physically consider how acts of kindness are like ripples in a pond. They start in one place but quickly spread out far and wide. Each place touched by a ripple is positively impacted by this act of kindness, by your acts of kindness. As such, our kind acts have a far greater impact than we might first think.
With this in mind and having thrown your pebbles or stones, perform a small act of kindness for someone. After doing so, IMAGINE the ripple effect of your act. This could begin by imagining this person’s day having been changed for the better by your kindness, which then changes the days of everyone with whom they come in contact.
At some point, likely late in the week, share your experience with someone or write about it. Be as descriptive as you can about your experience. Through your words, transport the other person or an imaginary reader to your pond.
Kind Living 