The Ripple Effect

Positive or negative – I think people are often ignorant of the ripple effect they cause in a day.

In many of my blogs I talk on the small acts, the simple changes, and the basic behaviors that cause all the difference and this one will reflect those as well however, in a little different temper. 

I am a pretty content, laid back, and happy person.  Things roll off my back, I don’t dwell on past things, and I genuinely think the best of people.  However, a side of me that some may not see is when something (one of the few things) grinds my gears in all the wrong ways.  When I see/hear something that I find completely distasteful, disrespectful, and flat out self centered.  There are VERY few things that bother me, but when something does it makes me lose my filter and sets me off a bit. 

I had one of these moments today while studying at Starbucks.  For those who aren’t at Starbucks multiple times a week like this chick, Starbucks is clean.  It is a high end coffee shop, with employees that are most often extremely pleasant to interact with.  Individuals go to Starbucks for the quality and the experience – top notch. 

Today, while studying, there were two individuals sitting diagonally in front of me with a baby.  Naturally, the baby couldn’t chew so the two were breaking up a lemon loaf for her and setting it on the table in front of her.  This baby was LOVING it, frosting on the face, fingers, and even in the hair… again, naturally… it’s a baby.  However, the two with the baby were not little and although they seem to know how to take care of a child apparently they cant take care of their crumbs. 

When they finished up, the lady took her hand and swepted it across the table.  No napkin under the table with the other hand, nothing.  Now, I am not talking a few crumbs.  I am talking a babies mess of crumbs from an entire lemon loaf, swept all over the ground.  Immediately, I looked at the lady with an unpleasant look then looked down at the crumbs.  She looked me dead in the eye, shrugged and left.  Not even 30 seconds later a different lady came over and sat down at the table. 

This set me off.

RIPPLE EFFECT PEOPLE.

This, quite literally, was little crumbs making a huge difference.

To the lady who came in directly after them and had to sit over crumbs, that’s not Starbucks quality… that was quality of a selfish person.

To the employee who had to sweep it up after she left, that wasn’t suppose to be part of your day at work… you’re time should have been able to be spent elsewhere.

Think about the ripple effect.  Is what you’re doing going to cause a hurricane of good vibes, or a hurricane of bad vibes?  Is it influencing a day positively, or negatively?  Because even the smallest things you do, like sweeping your crumbs on the floor, is having a ripple effect on someone. 

We’re on a mission to change the world, but just maybe changing our own acts could, in fact, create the biggest change in the world.