What will your ripple create?
#CompelledTribe


Many people on Twitter have started the “one word” for the year, some use “three words,” Dave Burgess uses “Beat your drum!”….this year I’m using something a little different and hopefully thought provoking. “What will your ripple create?”

All of us have seen the results of throwing a pebble or rock in a pond, creek, or lake. It creates a ripple. After a while, it dissipates to a little or no ripple, depending on the size of the rock and the distance traveled. One thing I liked as a kid was finding a somewhat flat rock and throwing side arm as hard I could to make it skip across the water as many times as it could until finally hitting the water one last time where it finally sinks. I also noticed each time it hit the water; it would create another ripple, and all the ripples would intersect or run into each other at some point.

As you know, the bigger the object, the bigger the splash, and the ripples are larger and tend to go farther. That is now thing that I pray I am not…Just a splash. My first attempt as an author was just that, a splash. It was an awesome feeling when received the first copy of my book Pirate On! - Lead fearlessly, Ignite passion, Inspire trust in your crew, & Emerge as a leader of significance. I include a link to it. https://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-68301-572-7  I had many leaders to contribute and which to added to the book considerably. However, there has been little interest in the book overall. My “ripple” disrupted rather quickly.

When I was a lifeguard during the summers while in high school and one in college, watching one of the ways guys would try to make a huge splash by performing a “cannonball” jump. They would jump off the board grab their ankles and make themselves as tight a “ball” as they could, resulting in a huge splash, usually trying to splash on someone (often a girl they were flirting with) close to the pool.   A big splash, waves to the bank, then it quickly dissipates.

Some ripples or waves can be costly. When there is an underwater earthquake, the result is enormous waves leading to a tsunami many times. The impact is great and lasting, but the cost is devastating.

My goal this year is to inspire, enhance and add value to others. I have been very humbled over the last couple of years shifting my very prideful self to my focus on serving. I miss serving as an educational leader. I have missed participating in many educational chats, and I want to change that. I have even begun researching for my next book entitled Leadership Lessons from the Vineyard (based on John 15: 1-12). If you are a wine lover like me, you will like this book.
So, in closing, I want my “ripple” to help as many educators in their quest to enhance the lives of the students they teach or lead. I want to serve you and the many others on chats this year and this blog. I want to help you produce abundant, sweet fruit in your position this year. May your ripple be significant, impactful, and add value to the lives you touch.