#67 - The Ripple Effect of Small Actions {Reflections}

Ever noticed how the smallest actions can ripple into significant impacts? Picture this: you're at Planet Fitness, and someone mindlessly spits gum into a urinal. Or maybe you're at Barnes & Noble, and a fellow shopper almost leaves a fallen book on the floor. These seemingly minor choices remind us that doing the right thing, no matter how trivial it seems, can help shape a more mindful and considerate world. Join me as I recount these eye-opening moments and discover how embracing this simple resolution can transform not just our lives but the lives of those around us.

Imagine a world where everyone takes a moment to choose kindness and responsibility. In this episode, you're invited to reflect on how small actions can create a big difference. Whether it’s taking a few seconds to discard gum properly or picking up a dropped book, these acts can lead to a more thoughtful community. Let's embark on this journey together, committing to "do the right thing" and fostering a positive change in our daily interactions. Let's make this the year of conscious choices and collective betterment.

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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:17

what is up everybody ? Hey , happy new year . It's january 1st when this gets released . With january 1 , I hope you're having an awesome January 1st so far , or you've had one . Maybe you got to sleep in a little bit or indulge in a nice I don't know big breakfast . But hey , I wanted to offer an idea for a New Year's resolution that I had that I thought of earlier . I want to kind of run it by you guys . It's one that I try to live by , but it's a good one for everybody , I think , and it's general enough but also can be very specific . And here's how I kind of thought about it .

Speaker 1 0:45

It's not like it's anything novel either , but I work at a gym in town called Planet Fitness . Maybe you've heard of these . It's a chain of Planet Fitnesses and they're fine . It's like it's super cheap . I love it because it's cheap and I see a lot of folks from the area , from the community , from Elk River , at the Planet Fitness , which is also kind of a . You know , it's usually crowded when I go , which is a bummer . You got to wait in line for the machines , but also , I don't know , I love seeing people , I know and um , but check this out . So in the guy in the men's bathroom . If you didn't , if you didn't know this about men's bathrooms , they have these uh , they call them urinals . You probably know this , maybe ladies .

Speaker 1 1:30

I've noticed , not just here , but it's a problem at Planet Fitness in Elk River , but I noticed it all over . People will spit their gum into the urinals in these places , so much that the people of Planet Fitness in Elk River had to hang a sign that said hey , please don't spit your gum into the urinals . And also like those tobacco packets that people have and see it all over . It's like , and I stand there . I'm like do people not know that that's not what you're supposed to do with your gum ? Or are we like , are we that ? Now I sound like the get off my lawn guy . I know I'm getting older , but I don't want to be that . But I'm like come on , you guys , you got to know that that's not the right thing , that you that's not where you put gum . It's the same with folks who like flick their cigarette butts out at the , at the street lights , you know , and like so next to any street lights like just a pile of cigarette butts and I'm like drives me crazy , and part of it is because I'm like god , just do the right thing . It takes you an extra I don't know two seconds to spit your gum into a garbage can . And that's my new year's resolution for you is is hey , do the right thing .

Speaker 1 2:24

This year I was at Barnes Noble it was actually about a year ago and I was standing by the magazine rack , which is by the door , and I was looking at magazines and this dude goes walking out the door On his way out . He bumps into this table and knocks a big book off the table . It falls into the ground and I see it . He doesn't see me , but I see him . I'm like maybe like 10 feet off to the right and he doesn't see me . And he stops , looks down , sees the book and doesn't pick it up and begins to walk out of the store . Then , at like almost the last minute , he sees me , his eye catches me and he goes . He stops and he goes like and looks at me like uh-oh , he's busted , and like in a flash it came to me . I go hey , man , just do the right thing . And he goes oh , is that from AA ? I go no dude , it's just do the right thing . He was asking is that from Alcoholics Anonymous ? I go no , man , because it sounds like maybe it is . I go , no , just do the right thing , pick the book up , man . And then he turned around , he picked of us and I don't know what the reasons are . But how many of us don't do the right thing ? And to me this is like it's so simple and easy . But if you think about it , it could change everything if we went through our days and just did the right thing . So that's it . I'm going to keep it short . But today and in the weeks and months ahead , do the right thing .

Speaker 1 3:45

Now , if you're a religious person , if you're a Christian , ask the Spirit , I think , to come and show you what's the right thing to do . Sometimes it isn't always clear , sometimes it's super clear . Like don't spit your gum into the urinal in the Planet Fitness in Elk River because someone's going to pick it out . And when you knock a book over in a public , pick it up . Or , hey , if you're in traffic , there's all these instances . To just do the right thing . I believe that the Holy Spirit can come along and show you what those things are , anything where it's confusing or complicated , then seek some guidance from friends or talk to your pastor or just whatever . In general it's sometimes glaringly obvious , today and whatever , but in general it's sometimes glaringly obvious . So today and in this year , in 2025 , no-transcript .