Ripples
by Gillie Whitewolf

Everything we do causes ripples - we not only affect the way we feel but the way others feel... which then affects the way others feel and so the ripples spread out, sparking new ripples to spread out in other directions... and so on.....
Try acknowledging a stranger the next time you walk down the road. One of the basic needs of a human is to be validated, by acknowledging a fellow human being you are feeding this need. Send out positive vibes and you'll not only receive those positive vibes back in some form, but you'll be spreading out those good vibes from one person to another....to another... to another....

"No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted" - Aesop

So make your ripples count and pass on the smile :

smile at a stranger [not in a creepy way!]

take the spider outside - don't kill it! Same goes for flies, daddy-long-legs, moths, bees and the likes...

adopt a granny - maybe you've got an elderly neighbour who may not have family close by, or you're in visiting distance of a local old folks home, just keeping an eye out for someone, or popping in for a chat over a cuppa can make all the difference. Hopefully we all get to grow old!

anonymously pay for a stranger's meal or cup of coffee

take something you like to a charity shop - do you really need ALL that stuff?

give to a busker - it doesn't have to be money : when I was busking people would offer me cups of tea, something to eat, flowers, little cards or notes, and one gentleman even gave me a huge box of Thornton's chocolates!

phone an old friend

write a thank you card - not necessarily for a present someone gave you, how about just a 'thank you for being a good friend / dad / neighbour / teacher..."

take somebody flowers [unless they suffer from hay fever!] - from a single flower you saw on your way to a friend's house, or something in bloom from your garden, to a bunch of flowers from the local flower stall / shop.

bake a cake for your neighbour [best to check for allergies here]

if you're a student, let a teacher know how much you appreciate their time and help - an apple a day keeps detention away! hahaha...

get in touch with an old teacher [one you liked and can say something nice to!]

put money in a parking meter which is about to expire

pick up litter! [and of course, don't drop any in the first place!]

take your empty glass / plate back to the bar

offer a market stall worker a cup of tea in cold weather - or a nice cool drink in hot weather

leave 20p in a phone box so someone can enjoy a free call

if you have a musical instrument you no longer use why not give it to a budding musician who can't afford one - or your local school

tip the delivery person - or let someone 'keep the change'

make a present for someone... just because....

take your old magazines to the local dentist / doctors / hospital and leave them in the waiting room [obviously only the ones NOT likely to cause an offence]

leave a pumpkin out for the slugs! or a melon... they'll enjoy the treat so much they won't have time to munch on your prize plants

give a homeless person a scarf on a cold day - or gloves, a hat or a blanket...

sweep your neighbour's path - or tidy up your local community area : sweep up leaves, pick up litter, tidy up the street!

create something beautiful and leave it for a stranger to find - [how about making an inspirational bookmark and leaving it in a book in the library?]

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them" - The Dalai Lama