The Domino Effect (Day 63 - September 23, 2011)

FACT:  At bare minimum, every small act you do for another positively impacts at least two lives.  Yours and theirs.

POSSIBILITY:  Every small act you do for another may positively impact the lives of countless others.


A story has just made its way back to me via the grapevine.  Rather poetically, the story was actually influenced by this blog site, and now has gone full circle.  Here is what I heard . . .


A husband and wife are out for a bike ride.  At the end of the ride, a glorious mouth watering hot dog with all the fixings from a local street side vendor awaits them.  (Personally, I would skip the bike ride, but some people are gluttons for punishment.)  The couple gets to their destination, buy their fully loaded dogs, and just as they turn to find a place to chow down . . . they see a street homeless person poking through a garbage a little distance away.  Normally, they might have simply moved on, but they saw this fellow differently than they usually do because of something they had read on this blog site.  So, they approached the man and asked him if he would like a hot dog.  He graciously accepted a fully loaded dog and a bottle of water, and then told them that it was "one of the nicest things that anyone had ever done for him."

One small act, at least three lives positively impacted.  The couple felt good for their act of kindness and more connected to humanity because of it.  The homeless fellow undoubtedly was touched and felt seen, perhaps for the first time in a long time.  One can speculate that this simple act may also have deeper implications for the this fellow, but we'll never really know.  However, that simple act doesn't stop giving there.  It may be that the fellow "passes it on" in some way, and in doing so starts a chain of positive impacts on others.  Further, the couple will certainly help others with small acts of generosity based upon this good experience . . . perhaps not with hot dogs, but maybe with a warm smile, a donation of clothing or blankets, or volunteering in some way.  And, finally, the one small act impacted me.  Hearing stories such as this fuels my passion for continuing to create awareness and greater understanding about poverty. This was a WIN - WIN - WIN - WIN and possibly WIN-SOME-MORE scenario!

Okay, so how do we move from a positive impact due to one small act to real change with respect to poverty?  Well, I should point out that sometimes that one small act in itself leads to real change.  You never know if the act was the trigger for something else or the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back".  (Which, I might add, is a very strange saying.)  For example, our hot dog beneficiary may be so touched by this act of kindness that he uses it as a motivation to endure tough times ahead and get back onto his feet.  However, most often, real change comes from a series of positive impacts originating out of small acts.  The couple could experience real change in how they approach poverty by doing a series of similar acts, thus forming new and compassionate habits.  The homeless fellow may experience real change from a series of small acts done for him . . . a hot dog here, a place to stay there, someone to talk to, and lots of positive reinforcement.  In other words, each of us doing small acts for others will irreversibly change us for the better, and end up making a world of difference for others.

Important Note - This story is just one of numerous small acts that I have heard about, many inspired by some of the things shared in this blog. I feel blessed to be part of the process. Thanks for the opportunity!


Hey!!  I'm That Poverty Guy . . . let's make a world of difference together.

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