Ripples…

By way of reminder…

Do you remember how much fun it is to toss stones in a little pond with your friends and try and see who can make the biggest splash?  I do. Growing up in Salina, Kansas I can remember walking down to the park with Steve, Toby, and James and seeing who could kick up the water.  Try it.  Toss a stone in a pond.  Two things will happen.  Do NOT miss this.  This is HUGE.

There will be a splash.

The splash may be big or small depending on the size of the stone and the strength of the arm that threw it.   There will also be …

Ripples.

We seem to mostly watch the splash.  We tend to miss the ripples.  Most of life, however, is so much sweeter when we see the ripples.  The ripples may go on and on and on and on. Last week I was getting coffee while mentally getting prepared for another practice.  I had stopped in the company’s “coffee” room and was filling up when one of the attendees stopped to do the same.  We said hey and then he just up and commented…

“Man, I love that dream stuff you talk about.  I have written it down and look at it everyday.  That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?”

As we talked I slowly began to realize what he was talking about.  He was commenting about the “flow” piece we had covered about 9 practices back.  He had really connected and was passing it on like a “believer.”  In fact, he told me that he had been asked to speak recently and had given this same message.  He then proceeded to show me the pages from the BTL 12 Playbook that he had taken out and made his own, and carried with him wherever he went.

I had no idea.

I mostly had been watching the splash.  I hadn’t even noticed that he was paying attention.  There had been no outward sign of connection.  He had NOT jumped up and down during the practice and screamed, “Eureka.”  In fact, nobody had.  Conversations like this one serve as a reminder to me.  AND, today, I’m passing it along as such. Focus less on the splash.  Focus less on the reaction of the crowd.  Stop worrying about people, situations, and futures that you can NOT control.

Just keep tossing.

Don’t worry about finding a bigger stone.  Don’t fret over the size of your pond or the weakness of your arm.  Instead, toss a thousand tiny pebbles.  Toss because you love throwing, you love your pond, and you love “feeding” it.  Toss with a smile on your face, a quiet confidence in your heart, and a fiesty spirit in your soul.  Toss away your fears and your nagging expectations.  Toss away your thoughts about simply doing enough.  Toss away your thoughts about the advantages your competitors may enjoy.  Toss away your thoughts about “if only” the team were stronger.  Just keep tossing.

Just keep tossing.

Someday, you’ll see the…

Ripples.