Ted Schneider on "IMPROV LEADERSHIP" on WRLR 98.3 LP FM

    Pay attention 10/9/21 - The phrase means “to listen to, watch or consider something or someone carefully.” Hard to believe, but there have been many times when this was said to me (a teacher, a parent, my spouse, a co-worker or a relative). In no particular order, a few things to pay attention to; sirens when you are driving, sirens that warn of a tornado, a pain in your chest, a teacher when they say it will be on the test, that little voice in your head, your significant other when he or she is talking directly to you, a spot on your skin that keeps changing colors and is growing, warning labels on products (OK you should pay attention to them but they don’t apply to me), a police officer when you get stopped, the weather forecast if you are planning an outdoor event, your blood work numbers, your financial investments especially if you want to retire, that funny noise coming from the front end of your car when you drive at high speeds and pay attention to your elders (which the older I get it narrows that down quite a bit, which is actually quite liberating). Most of all pay attention to what your heart and your mind tell you since they act as the yin and yang of life - two complimentary forces that can provide some guidance and direction.  

 Loss 10/2/21 - We all have experienced the loss of a loved one (a parent, a sibling, a spouse, a relative, a friend or a co-worker). How is it that the longer we live, and the more people we lose in our lives that we still can’t fully comprehend death. My father had cancer, I watched him suffer and get weaker and weaker and after about 9 months he passed away. It’s been 38 years and I still recall not wanting to believe that he was gone. My sister Mary had stage 4 lung cancer and I visited her almost every day not believing that one day she would no longer be in that bed to talk with me. This past week a classmate of mine, Ryan, died after battling a disease for 18 months. I saw him a year ago (and realized he was ill) but was shocked and saddened when I received the news of his passing away.  Our brains can solve complex mathematical problems and we can use our minds and ingenuity to do amazing things but we still cannot process death. The takeaway for me is that we must be realistic about our life spans. No matter how young or old you are, no matter how good you feel or what your health is we someday will no longer be here. Life is precious and not to be wasted. Life is a gift that we must cherish and enjoy to the fullest. Most importantly, life is a limited time offer, and like any incredible deal you are given, take full advantage of it because it might not be available tomorrow. 

Little things 9/25/21 - We sometimes get sidetracked into thinking that we have to spend a lot of effort, time or money to enjoy life or to make ourselves or someone else happy. Some little things that I appreciate; A hand written letter versus a text. A small inexpensive gift that I am truly surprised by (that I will actually use) versus a large expensive gift that I will put in a closet or giveaway. A stranger signaling me to turn first at a stop sign or go in front of them in line at a store (this also makes me feel good to do the same for others). A friend who I have not talked to for a long time calling out of the blue just to say hello. Taking a walk in the early morning and absorbing the sights and sounds while most of the world is still asleep. Finding a coin on the ground. Having a quiet dinner with a friend and enjoying their company and conversation. Stopping to gaze into the sky to see the clouds, sun, moon and the variety of colors that nature provides. Recounting some funny stories with my mom and/or my children and laughing about them. Seeing a smile on someone’s face because of something I did or said. Getting up and out of bed every day, feeling alive and being healthy and pain free. Life’s simple pleasures are the best. 

Another birthday 9/18/21   Another birthday has been celebrated and it was fun, So far it’s been a good run. Every year you get to have while on earth, Reminds you of your birth. It also reminds you that this is a limited time deal, So make it real. You also come to realize the importance of all the people you know, Because of them you grow. And I want to thank all those that have helped me along the way, Making yesterday a beautiful day. And thank you all for your wishes, kind thoughts, words and things you had to say, Helping me keep old age at bay. 

September 9/11/21 - It’s September and I always look forward to the fall and my birthday.  What is always a little sad is the passing of the summer months (at least in the Midwest, June, July and August are special).  It means that another summer is in the books and we only get a finite amount of summers in our lifetime.  September is also home to some anniversaries (most of which I don’t celebrate).  In no particular order, work anniversary (7 years), divorce anniversary (7 years), herniated a disk in my back anniversary (7 years), bought a new car (7 years), had to find a new place to live (7 years).  Needless to say 2014 was a rough year but 7 years later I am stronger, happy, and in a good place.  So Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversaries to me!      Young love versus older love 9/4/21 - Remember when you were young and in love (or at least you thought it was love)? Now that a few years have gone by, that same love has matured and is a little different. Here are some comparisons (in my opinion) between young love and a little older love. Of course, there are exceptions to the rules and some individuals are blessed to have found “older love” when they were young while the rest have to discover it later in life.· Young love is sometimes fixated primarily on the physical, older love looks deep inside the other realizing that when the physical eventually fades, the emotional connection is what will remain.· Young love might not have a clear picture of what it wants, older love is focused on what it needs.· Young love can be irrational and impulsive, older love is a little more deliberate and composed.· Young love wants things now, older love can be a little patient.· Young love might not always fully appreciate the other, older love has learned to respect, cherish and value the other.· Young love sometimes fizzles out since it can have a short fuse, older love has a higher burning point enabling it to last longer.· Young love has no reference point, little to no baggage and little experience, older love has a unique vantage point and some scars as reminders and as guides.· Young love believes that it has plenty of time to get it right, older love realizes that more time is behind it than in front of it so choosing wisely is important.

Legacy 8/28/21 At this point in life I have more years behind me than in front of me (unless my math is incorrect which I am really hoping it is). As a result, I sometimes start to think of what I will be leaving behind after I am gone (besides a car, a cell phone and boxes of junk that no one will be fighting over). What will last after I am gone? I am not leaving behind a company I started. I doubt they will name a street after me. I won’t be donating a large sum of money to a hospital or a library to have it named after me either. These things aren’t really important any way. What is important is that I raised three children and they are definitely a part of my legacy. A part of me will continue to live through them. Hopefully I will also be remembered for the laughter I provided people, or perhaps an article I once wrote they will recall. The more I think about it, it is what you do each and every day that will add to your legacy. It is every interaction with another human being that leaves a lasting impression. If you want to build a legacy, start by making a difference in the lives of others on a regular basis. Dare to risk being your true self with others and see how far a little kindness, caring and love will go. It’s never too late to start building your legacy.     

  Randomly assigned body - 8/21/21 - I saw a Lilly commercial the other day and at one point it referenced the “randomly assigned” body we are given at birth. Are we really given our bodies randomly? What if it wasn’t accidental that some grow taller, while others remain short. What if it wasn’t an unplanned event that you would wind up being a professional athlete while someone else was confined to a wheelchair with an illness. What if there was a bigger plan that somehow determined all the bodies that would eventually get cancer? What if our bodies came off of some type of international assembly line and similar to options and accessories available on some automobile models, human bodies were made the same way? Perhaps your body was a limited edition. Perhaps someone else received (by design) the Rolls Royce version that was built by hand. Someone else was destined to receive a body that was mass produced with cheaper parts. What if some bodies were put together with stricter quality controls than others? Overall, the idea of a randomly assigned body seemed like too much was left up to chance.

Diary 8/14/21 – I am consolidating the past 16+ years of my weekly “thoughts of the week” and it has been an emotional task. I started writing to assist leaders to become better leaders. Over the years it became more of an online diary or journal documenting what was thought provoking that particular week. As I read through the entries (although sadly I cannot locate 2016 to 2018 due to a mistake I made a few years back – lesson learned, back up, back up and back up) it brings back memories of the changes I was going through, the highs and the lows, and the joy and the pain. I relived some funny moments and some melancholy times.  The weekly thoughts tell a story of what I was thinking and/or feeling at the time. My writing has evolved over the years (I like to think it has improved too) but this isn’t important. What is important is that I am able to go back in time and relive moments from simply the written word. There is no audio or video but the words as they were put together create the visual and the sound for me.  I liken this to a time capsule, since some of these articles have been buried for years and are just now being unearthed to be read again.

Handshake - 8/7/21 - The custom supposedly started in medieval times when people often concealed weapons in their hands. The handshake was a way of affirming they were unarmed (and it evolved to a polite greeting). Up until CT (Covid Times) I always shook someone’s hand, new people you met at work, during an interview, when a repairman finished work at your home or saying hello and/or goodbye to friends. Today when you meet someone or are introduced to someone, it becomes similar to playing rock, paper, scissors.  Instead, I’ll call it fist bump, elbow or nod. It can be uncomfortable not knowing what the other person is comfortable doing. If I shook someone’s hand before CT, I always washed my hands if I was then going to eat so why is it so dangerous and lethal now to shake a hand? I am not sure how we got to this point, but I look forward to the day that shaking hands becomes normal again and there is no uncertainty when someone extends a hand to you.  

Notebook 7/31/22 - I was staring at the blank Word document thinking of what to write this week when the page itself stood out. It made me think that when we are young life is a blank page, a blank spiral notebook of sorts. We have our whole life ahead of us and we have yet to fill out too many pages. As we experience life we scribble on the pages and the notebook slowly fills up. The more we experience, the more we do and the more we live life the quicker the pages are consumed. At some point though we might slow down and we don’t write entries at the pace or the variety that we did in the past. We settle in to a comfortable lifestyle perhaps, or perhaps illness slows us down or we simply no longer move out of our comfort zone. As a result, the notebook starts to gather dust and very little is transcribed into it. Why stop using the pages we have been given? I think near the end of our lives we should be writing on the cardboard front and back cover and squeezing words in the margins. Live your life to the fullest and don’t ever stop writing on the pages in your notebook. 

Old 7/24/21 - As my birthday approaches, I think about what it means to add a year on to my age. I also asked myself, what makes you old? Is it gray hair? No, that’s just the pigment cells in my hair follicles dying. Are you old when your joints sometimes make noises? Nope, that just means you need to go in for a 500,000-mile checkup (think the Tin Man and his oil can). What if certain aches and pains pop up now and then does that make you old? No, that just means you are gaining (no pain, no gain). If your hearing starts to go does that make you old? No, that just means you are being selective with regards to what you want to listen to. What if you can’t see small print without glasses? That just means whoever printed what you are attempting to read should have used a larger font (they are obviously hiding something they don’t want you to read). If you have wrinkles on your face does that make you old? Definitely not, for a woman it gives you an experienced, mature look. For a man, you are handsomely rugged. What if you start to slow down in your walking, does that mean you are getting old? No way, that just means you are more appreciative of your surroundings and you go a little slower to absorb all the beauty around you. What if certain parts of your body start to droop a little, does that make you old? No, that just confirms that the gravitational pull of the earth is increasing (this puzzles scientists too). What if you start to forget things, does this make you old? No, it simply means your mental hard drive is running out of space and you need to purge some useless information. The only thing I can think of as a good definition of old is, “having lived a long time.” So, here’s to you living a long time and staying healthy along the way. 

3.9 miles 7/17/21 - I grew up on the northwest side of Chicago and after graduating grammar school we moved to Harwood Heights. There were many changes, new friends, a new high school and overall a new community. It was officially the suburbs versus the city. We had our own police, mayor, much cheaper vehicle stickers, some taxes were lower and we even had our own zip code. I recently looked to see how far away the old house was to the new one - 3.9 miles. In my mind we had moved more than just 3.9 miles based on the variety of things that had changed and how different the neighborhoods were. I input the addresses several times because it seemed impossible that we had only moved a short distance away. Comparing this move to life highlighted the fact that sometimes significant changes can occur in our lives without too much effort or without going too far down the road. 

Acronyms 7/10/21 - The world we live in is full of acronyms. While texting, for example, it is quick and easy to use them (DIY, WTH, BRB, UR, BTW etc.). No matter where you work, what organization you belong to or what your hobbies are, there are typically a lot of acronyms. They are used because it takes less time to write a few letters versus spelling out the entire phrase. The problem I have is most of the time it becomes a riddle I have to solve. I feel like I am on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ attempting to solve the phrase. The other day while on a triage call at work, I had to ask several times what a particular acronym meant (didn’t save me any time, actually took longer). Overall, if your audience can’t comprehend what you are attempting to communicate, you raise more questions than answers. As a result, I would suggest using acronyms sparingly or at least spell them out once in your communication. Remember that sometimes they get thrown around like sewer covers and they become difficult to catch. 

Playing outside 7/3/21 - This week the improv group I am in got together for our first live practice in over 15 months in preparation for our upcoming live improv show. As we sat outside rehearsing the skits, it made me drift back to my youth in the summertime. Hanging outside with friends, laughing, and playing. In my youth, the world seemed to stand still in the summer allowing me and my friends the freedom to be children with no worries or cares in the world. By looking around the people I was with, we clearly were no longer children but the same joy and spirit was in the air. Nothing else mattered except the cool summer wind and us entertaining each other. We had no interruptions from the real world and even though I had to go to work the next day, I felt like I could stay out late because it didn’t matter. Times like these are what the human experience is all about, camaraderie, laughter, relaxing, sharing some food and drink, having conversations with other people face to face and overall enjoying the company of people you know. It was a welcomed relief from Zoom meetings, isolation and social distancing that we have endured. It also renewed my ‘human being’ card while triggering memories and feelings from long ago.  
Dorothy 6/26/21 - We were talking about ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and getting past the things Judy Garland was subjected to making the movie (strict diet, pills etc.) we discussed her character in the movie. Here is a young girl, in a strange land faced with many challenges. She confronts each problem by making a decision and continues on her journey. At the end she finds out that she had the power all along to get back home. There were many takeaways that can be applied to life (here are just a few), 1) even though we think a path may be simple to follow (follow the yellow brick road, it couldn’t be easier than that) there will still be bumps in the road that we must maneuver, 2) we can find ourselves, at times, in strange places under difficult circumstances but we need to persevere by making the best of it and continuing to carry on with our journey, 3) in life we will meet people who become our friends and stand with us, while there are others who seem to work against us (perhaps because they envy our shoes, for example), 4) some of our greatest fears can be easily vanquished by simply facing them (the Wicked Witch of the West was defeated by a mere bucket of water), and 5) we have the power within us to do many things if we just take a moment to reflect on what we have (especially if you own a pair of ruby red slippers). Father’s Day 6/19/21 - Father’s Day is tomorrow and it reminded me of many things. First and foremost, that my father has been gone for 38 years - cancer took him at a young age. I miss him and think about him often. I was reminiscing the other day with my mom about some of the funny things I recall and things in general we did. This day also reminds me of the responsibilities that come with being a father (I have three children). Here are my top 10 (although there are more), 1) Stay in touch with your children, 2) Support them emotionally, 3) Support them financially (but with interest compounded daily - that way they have an incentive to pay you back quicker), 4) Have some fun with them 5) Have adult conversations especially as they get older, (it’s not the same talking to them about taxes, politics, global warming etc. when they are in kindergarten) 6) Share holidays and special occasions with them 7) Make each of them feel special for who they are 8) Be a good role model by your actions, words and deeds 9) Give them love, respect and caring and 10) Let them know you are proud to be their father.

Left, or right? 6/12/21 - Most of us are right-handed, a small % of the population is left-handed and an even smaller % are ambidextrous. We take for granted being able to use our dominant hand but if we are forced to use the other one (due to injury, for example) it is hard to do even simple tasks. Barring a defect or injury, both ears typically work the same, both eyes, both kidneys, both lungs etc., so why don’t both of our hands work the same? Technically speaking they do work the same (your thumb movement, wiggling your fingers etc.), but try to play golf, hit a baseball or wipe your behind with your other hand and you immediately find it to be a little awkward - almost like you have never done it before. You soon learn that your non-dominant hand has not been paying attention to what the primary hand has been doing all these years (time to have a talk with your non-dominant hand to pay closer attention).  Your non-dominant hand is simply along for the ride, helping out occasionally to carry large or heavy objects, clap or give a massage but not good at going solo for important tasks. I now know where the phrase, “your left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing” comes from.

Lightning struck twice 6/5/21 - The old saying is that lightning never strikes the same place twice. This past Thursday I proved that wrong by doing stand up for the second time in the same place. Perhaps I wasn’t as funny as the first time OR I was better this time so it wasn’t exactly the same and they were different routines. The point is I had fun, I felt comfortable, I knew the material and delivered it as I expected. It feels good to conquer something I thought I couldn’t do (twice). It is satisfying to slay another dragon. 

Take it easy 5/29/21 - I received my second COVID shot this week and I was instructed to “take it easy” for the rest of the day and the next day. I knew that and as a result I worked out before receiving the shot and only stopped at two stores on the way home, touched up a few spots on my car and waxed a few spots on the car. It was 85 degrees out and sunny so that’s all I did in order to comply. The next day it meant no treadmill at 4:30am for 3 miles, no pullups, no pushups, no core exercises, no hand weights and no crunches. “Take it easy” is a phrase not in my vocabulary since I work out 7 days a week (averaging between 7 to 8 miles walking a day). I fortunately suffered no side effects from the 2nd COVID shot but the weird/guilty/lethargic feeling of not working out was a negative side effect I hadn’t anticipated.

Boy Scout Principles 5/22/21 In 1968 I memorized the 12 Boy Scout Principles and still remember them. A scout is, Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent. These principles gave me guidance and a path as a young man. They were good words to live by then and are still good words to live by 53 years later. 

10 rules for staying young (they are more, but here are just 10 I came up with) 5/15/21 - I talked about aging a few weeks back and I said there were no rules for aging. Well, I changed my mind. Here are some rules for aging I mean staying young (in no particular order):· Create more than you consume (that goes for art, time and even food).· Stay active each and every day by doing something that gets you moving (its OK to count your steps just don’t be obsessive like some people I know).· Leave your hair go gray (you will put less chemicals on your head, your hair will smell better and who knows it might get thicker too and take some biotin just as a precaution).· Remove all the hair on your body where it shouldn’t be (nose, ears, chin etc., and if you need to, transfer it at the brow bar).· Get your parts replaced as needed (but before you go on Medicare - please don’t be a drain on the already taxed system).· Find something to laugh about every day (set time aside for Comedy clips on YouTube if your own life doesn’t provide enough laughter).· Eat from all the food groups (and as hard as it may be, limit your sugar intake - your pancreas will thank you).· Get an annual physical along with blood work (make it a game between visits to lower numbers that need to be lower).· Get the proper amount of sleep each night (your goal should be to dream in 4K Ultra HD which means some serious REM sleep is going on).· Never, ever give up (and never see yourself or think of yourself as old although it might eventually require a little denial and that’s OK).  Reboot 5/8/21 - This past week I had to reboot my Internet modem, my work laptop, my iPhone and my EarPods. In each case after a simple reboot was performed everything was working as expected and back to normal. What if the same process was made readily available for some of our other problems in life? Instead of knee or hip surgery, a reboot. Instead of a bypass or angioplasty, a restart of the arteries flushes the system and gets everything running cleanly and smoothly again. If you get stopped by the police for ‘allegedly’ speeding a reboot brings you back to the point before radar ‘allegedly’ caught you. Let’s say you have an argument with your significant other. What if when they turned around you hit the reset button on the back of their head and you started over (assuming this would clear memory cache and cookies)? Let’s say your son or daughter come home with a bad report card (OK I know they are digital now but play along). What if a simple brain shut down and restart allowed them to function better (assuming their brain came back on line with the default settings and all the extraneous information they have picked up playing video games, watching YouTube or TikTok gets deleted). A restart, a reboot or even a do-over button could really come in handy.  Boundaries 4/30/21 - Years ago boundaries were created to designate territories and indicate land ownership. Boundaries separated countries and sometimes there were disputes over these man-made boundaries.  Today with millions working from home boundaries again are being drawn and challenged. Your home is now your work place, your children’s school and your family’s space - literally the center of several worlds. Are there clear boundaries? In some cases, all you have to establish a boundary is a mute button or an on/off video button. Boundaries need to be created and respected but occasionally your worlds spill over into each other (your dog is barking or your four-year-old walks into your “office” - both interrupt you while you are working). Many people I know have created their office space in their bedroom - the same place they lie in bed reading, watch television at night, sleep and make love to their significant other (this really gives new meaning to the ‘multi-purpose’ room). At some point you need to create some physical boundaries along with time boundaries to separate these worlds in order to stay emotionally healthy, focused and to ensure that each part of your home territory is treated as it should be while striving to minimize distractions and disputes.   

Genie out of the bottle - 4/24/21 - For over 10 years I have thought about doing standup at an open mic event. There was always an excuse, work, family things, its too hard, I won’t be funny, its too far to drive downtown (and there’s no place to park), writing something that would fill up 5 or 6 minutes is impossible etc. A friend of mine told me that a local place had one coming up. In a week’s time I came up with a routine, polished it, trimmed it and practiced it. What I couldn’t make happen in a 10-year time frame I accomplished in 7 days. How was that possible? The answer is simple, I told a few people I was doing it and there was no turning back. I was finally going to slay the dragon that had been terrorizing the village for many years. After it was over, it was like going on a roller coaster for the first time and as soon as you get off, you can’t wait to do it again. To be successful we need to 1) make it a priority, 2) set aside the time it requires, 3) get excited about it, 4) practice doing it, 5) believe in your abilities 6) eliminate distractions 7) be relentless in your pursuit, and 8) commitment. Final note, I did part of the routine today, at the end of a 4.5 hour incident Zoom call and made nine of my co-workers laugh (not the way most of these calls typically end). The genie is definitely out of the bottle.    

Decisions 4/17/21 – We make decisions every day, what to eat, should we exercise, what projects should I tackle at work, should I use conditioner on my hair (and you shouldn’t over condition), should I cut the grass or wait until Monday and many more. Some decisions have short term, almost immediate impact (should I eat more fiber for breakfast) and some decisions, making a career change or deciding to move have more long-lasting impact. It is easy to put decisions off but not making a decision is a decision. Not making a decision has just as much of an impact as making one because of the eventual outcome. I always weigh what not making a particular decision will have in 3 days, 3 months and 3 years. If not making a decision will change the outcome in any of these timeframes, then I make one since I am not about to leave it to chance especially if it will affect my physical or emotional well-being. Sometimes I weigh the pros and cons and other times if it will answer the question, “Will this make me happy? OR Will this benefit me? OR “Is this the right thing to do?” then it makes the decision easier. Life broken down to its simplest consists of three things, time (and since the sand is continuously falling in the hour glass don’t waste it), our health (so maintain and protect it) and the decisions we make (so make informed, wise and timely decisions).

Twelve little ideas 4/3/21Remember when you leave the house wear a smile,It should last for more than a mile.Do something for someone and ask for nothing in return,And see what you learn.Do something for someone other than you,And see what they do.Give someone a compliment on how they look,And see what it took.Set a good example with those you know,And see how they glow.When things get a little tough show some grit,Because you don’t quit.Once in a while spend some quality time alone,You’ll be in the zone.Don’t overlook the simple things in life that make you happy,Even though it may sound sappy.You’ll never know what you can do if you don’t try,So, reach for the sky.Be good to your parents as long as they are alive,And see how they thrive.When you do something wrong or make a mistake,Apologize for heaven’s sake.Lastly, remember it’s not what you get but what you give,That allows others to live.

Passwords 3/27/21 – No matter what you attempt to get into it requires a password. Your email, Facebook, Amazon, banking, the VPN token to get into your work laptop and more. If I take my iWatch off it is a six-digit code to get back into it afterwards (and it has to change every 3 months since it is tied to my work phone). My work phone also requires a six-digit passcode and has to be changed every 3 months. My LAN password for work is 12 digits long and can’t be any word in the English Language and it has to be changed every 3 months. What does this mean? I have to keep taking CoQ10, Vitamin B12, Bacopa Monnieri, L-Glutamine and Ginkgo Biloba to keep my mind sharp enough to remember all these passwords (it’s also hard to remember to take all this). Now I know you are thinking what about facial recognition – well that works without a mask but with it on you better remember the six-digits and with the aging process in full swing these days my face changes almost every hour (that’s a good thing since for men it’s called rugged, mature or seasoned). What’s even more worrisome – you forgot your password! Now you have to remember security questions and the problem is I never use real answers (if I can’t remember them either can the bad guys).  For example, when they asked the name of my childhood friend, answer ‘Imaginary’, or where did you meet your spouse, answer ‘Prison’ or your favorite teacher in grammar school, answer ‘Socrates’ or what was your favorite place to visit as a child, answer, ‘Jupiter.’ I understand the reason behind ‘strong’ passwords it is just exhausting to try and remember all of them or find a secure enough app or place to store all of them. Years ago, people kept jewelry, heirlooms and other valuables in a safe – today these safes simply contain their passwords. 

Ripple effect 3/20/21 – Merriam Webster defines this as, “a spreading, pervasive, and usually unintentional effect or influence.” When I think of a ripple effect, I think of throwing a stone in a lake and watching the waves move out from the point of impact. In life we create ripple effects and we are touched and influenced by the ripple effects created by others. Our words, actions and deeds either intentional or unintentional can cause an effect on others. Giving a compliment, including someone on an invite, being courteous in traffic, posting a positive review for a business, listening in a conversation or making a donation to a charity are just a few examples that can create waves that are far reaching. We are influenced by a variety of ripple effects, typically by what we see, what we hear or what we interact with. There are times we don’t realize how far that ripple had to travel to reach us or where it originated from but it has an impact. The sun is a good example, almost 93 million miles away but the heat and light ripple effect can enhance our mood, make plants grow, create electricity by hitting a solar panel, dry the ground after a rain and melt snow – quite an influence. Keep in mind that it doesn’t take some elaborate or grandiose activity to cause a tremendous effect, even small and quiet gestures can have a far-reaching impact and influence on others.