Friday, April 15, 2016

The Power Of One



The Power Of One

From time to time, I’ve passed on stories about one individual making a difference in the lives of others. Stories about having had a positive impact on the lives of others.

Oskar Schindler was a German industrialist, spy, and member of the Nazi Party who is credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories. I would say he had a positive impact on at least those 1,200 Jews, and that he also served as an inspiration to many others.

A fourteen year old girl by the name of Malala Yousafzai was on her way home from school when a man with a gun approached a young girl waiting to leave school and asked her which one of them was Malala. One of the girls pointed to Malala and the man shot both of the girls. You see, the Taliban restricted young girls from attending school. In her own words, she said, “Dear friends, on the 9th of October, 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends too. They thought that the bullets would silence us, but they failed.”

Boldly, she spoke on her 16th birthday, saying, "Terrorists thought that they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this -- weakness, fear and hopelessness died, strength, power and courage was born." I would say she had a positive impact on others and served as an inspiration to many.

I’ve written about Steve Gleason, a former football player who is now suffering from ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease. In spite of his illness and in spite of being confined to a wheelchair, with the help of others, he has made the trek to Machu Picchu. He wasn’t going to let his illness prevent him from living. To me the most extraordinary thing about this man is that he creates video diaries for his son because he wants to make sure his son knows him. I would say he has had a positive impact on others and served as an inspiration to many.

I quote Mother Teresa regularly and she serves as both a hero and an inspiration to me. Mandela, Helen Keller, Martin Luther King, and a host of others have had impactful lives. Lives that weren’t wasted.

I think we forget sometimes about The Power Of One.

One kind word can make a difference in another’s bad day, just as one derogatory word, one unkind word, one thoughtless word can spoil an otherwise nice day for someone.

One kind action can make a difference to someone who is suffering alone and quietly. One kind action such as holding a door, a smile, a hello, a silent presence can have such a positive impact on someone, just as one thoughtless, careless, unkind action can hurt the already hurt and suffering soul of another.

One kind life can make a difference in the lives of others who are mindlessly following along, weary, tired, and about to give up, just as one mean, distasteful, sarcastic, and arrogant life can further degrade life and the soul of so many.
It comes down to The Power Of One. One word, One action, One life. And the magical thing about that is that it grows, this Power Of One. Most of the time, like the common cold or the flu, it is sometimes caught by others. And others become One of those who dispense a kind word, or a kind action, and who live a positive life.

How will you speak today? How will you act today? How will you live today?

Because it is a choice for you and for me. It is a choice to be positive or negative, to be kind or unkind, to be productive or wasteful. Because we have that Power, and if we share it . . . either positively or negatively . . . others will catch it and carry it to others. So I ask you again, how will you speak today? How will you act today? How will you live today? You and I have a choice. May that choice be for the good and for the betterment of all. That is The Power Of One. Something to think about . . .

Live Your Life, and Make A Positive Difference!

To My Readers:

A kind soul wrote the following about my series, The Lives Trilogy: Stolen Lives, Shattered Lives, Splintered Lives and the Prequel: Taking Lives
“These are some of the most amazing books I have ever read. I'm working on the last one now and have been waiting ever so impatiently for it to come out lol I started with the prequel and the other ones were out already, with the exception of the last one, which is now. From that book I went straight to downloading the rest of them and read them back to back. I couldn't put it down. If you are someone who likes to read I highly recommend these books!” 

If you like thriller, mystery fiction, you might want to check them out. Available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback, and free with Kindle Unlimited.

Thanks!
jl

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Thank you for your comment. I welcome your thought. Joe