"The stone, flung from my careless hand into the lake, splashed down into the depths of the flowing water, and that was all. No, it was not all. Look at those concentric rings, rolling their tiny ripples among the sedgy reeds, dippling the overhanging boughs of yonder willow, and producing an influence, slight but conscious, to the very shores of the lake itself. That stray word, that word of pride or scorn, flung from my lips in casual company, produces a momentary depression, and that is all. No, it is not all. It deepened that man's disgust at godliness, and it sharpened the edge of that man's sarcasm, and it shamed that half-converted one out of his penitent misgivings, and it produced an influence, slight, but eternal, on the destiny of a human life. Oh, it is a terrible power that I have--this power of influence--and it clings to me. I cannot shake it off. It is born with me; it has grown with my growth, and is strengthened with my strength. It speaks, it walks, it moves; it is powerful in every look of my eye, in every word of my lips, in every act of my life. I cannot live to myself. I must either be a light to illumine, or a tempest to destroy. Dear reader, this necessary element belongs to you. The sphere may be contracted, thine influence may be small, but a sphere and influence you surely have."
Every human being is a center of influence for good or for ill. No man can live unto himself. The meshes of a net are not more surely knit together than man to man. We may forget this secret, silent influence. But we are exerting it by our deeds, we are exerting it by our words, we are exerting it by our very thoughts--and he is wise with a wisdom more than that of earth who seeks to put forth the highest power for good, be his home a hut or a hall, a cabin or a palace.
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(End Quote)
The power we all have is something we often don't think much upon. Though it is surprising to reflect upon the significance of any small or trifling occurrence. How many times have you discovered something you felt was so profound to you but couldn't share it with another because of its seeming insignificance to them?
Say what you will about chaos theories, butterfly effects, energy lay lines, free will, and destiny, but know that everything you do has an effect. Historical figures become legendary icons or villains because of the effects of the things that they did. We all have this same power in greater or smaller degrees.
Many people worry about the state of the world that we live in. How many times a week do you hear a like complaint or thought uttered? The task of improving our position is daunting. It is nearly impossible to imagine how we could possibly "fix" our situation. There is so much confusion, angst, strife, pain, suffering, and "evil".
But... We created all that. It wasn't hear before we got here. We made all the problems we have. Yes, of course there are incurable diseases and awful circumstances which can't be prevented. However, we ARE the ones who are responsible for not having figured out a way to properly deal with those problems.
Every human being is responsible for the world we live in. Whether you are crippled from birth or born to rich parents, this does not change. We all own this world. We are all part of the human race and condition. Every person has the same power to influence those they come into contact with. It is the one thing which you can be absolutely certain of. Even if that power is so small that you can't see it, you can be certain it is there. A person can fall from a building and survive the next day fall out of their chair and break their neck. The small are not incapable of having sway in the world.
What is missing in our world is a sufficient amount of consciousness. We don't lack leadership. We are ALL leaders at every moment in our lives. We simply need to be more aware of our own impact. Think upon what impact you have on the world in everything that you do. You are going to make a difference today and tomorrow and every other day that you live. You just have to decide what difference that is going to be.
