The Ripple Effect
What happens when you decide there is a better version of you available and you want to become them? A version of you who is a better listener, meditates to become less reactive, wants to learn to enforce boundaries with the people in your life. You are beginning your personal growth journey!!!
You may start seeking out the right tools the books, the podcasts. There may even be a mentor, someone you see on Instagram or know in real life who is a good listener and has a morning routine, they model these things in their daily life. Follow them, use them to inspire you.
You are on the path to becoming a better person! How exciting is all of that?
As you implement these new practices and start to see or feel the changes in your life, you might want to share all this goodness with your friends and family. They may think it is amazing, they may want to hear more. Or they may not want to hear about any of it, they may just be happy being who they are and living the life they have.
This is the piece that can be hard for me. By design, I can see how people’s lives could or would be improved by implementing just a few of the things I have learned on my journey.
We must remember that people must be ready, willing, and able to hear what we want to share with them.
In my experience one of 2 things happen here as we grow and share:
You talk to your bestie Dave about all the new concepts, you are learning and implementing in your life. But Dave thinks things he’s doing just fine the way he is. Going to a job he hates (that he complains about all of the time,) coming home, and sitting on the couch watching TV every night. Dave tells you to keep all that personal growth stuff to yourself. You start spending less time with Dave, you are not feeling his vibe anymore and you feel drained or sad when you spend time with him. You stop going over to Dave’s and don’t call him anymore. Your relationship slowly comes to an end.
Dave notices that all the changes you are talking about and that the habits you are implementing are making you happier, you have new hobbies, have gotten promoted at work. Maybe he starts thinking he would like to be a better spouse and improve his listening skills. Dave starts reading, listening, and growing himself. He rises with you. This is the ripple effect and can spread far and wide.
This is the impact we can have on others. By simply improving ourselves those around us will see and feel the changes. It will start to impact them.
Some of the people we used to hang around with may change, some may go, and some new ones may come into your life. This can feel wrong, but it is part of becoming a better you.
Have you grown or changed recently? Please share your story, it can inspire others too!