Rain Ripple River: An invitation to change the world from the inside out

The world is going to hell.

At least it sure does feel like that sometimes. Looking around at the world – especially as it is presented in the news – can feel disheartening. Hopeless even. It looks like a world that is going off the rails, and doing it at Mach speed.

I struggle with that feeling myself from time to time, but I also look around and I see something different. Something infinitely more hopeful.

I see possibility. I see a massive untapped resource that has the potential to change the world we hand down to future generations.

What is that resource?

It’s you.

And me. And your neighbor. And your boss. And that weird guy down the street who collects rubber bands.

In short, that resource is each of us and all of us.

This blog is about tapping into that resource.

In the posts to come, I will explore the three core components of an idea I think of as changing the world from the inside out.

Those are: The Inner Game, Impact, and Interconnection. Or, put more poetically, Rain, Ripple, and River.

Rain: This is where it all starts, with each individual. What’s happening in your inner world affects your outer world. It affects how you feel, how you show up, how you affect others, the difference you make, what you’re willing to even try. In short, the Inner Game isn’t just a supplement. It’s the starting place. Everything ripples out from here.

Ripple: This is the difference you make in the world (Impact). It’s not just about writing a check to a worthy cause or spending time each week volunteering. It’s also about the choices you make, the actions you take, and how you show up in your day to day life.

River: We human critters evolved to operate collectively. This is where the individual drops of rain and the ripples they create join to form a River (Interconnection). It’s where connection and community serve to both inspire and amplify the difference we can make.

All three of those are inextricably linked, each one affecting and being affected by the others.

This blog will be:

Aspirational: An exploration of who we can be – both individually and collectively.

Practical: A bias for actionable ideas.

Realistic: An approach that allows for our messy human imperfection.

Research-based: Just say no to fluff.

A big driving force for everything I’m doing with Rain Ripple River is this: I want to be a part of changing what we hand down to future generations. Frankly, I’m ashamed by much of what we’re already handing down. So rather than just wring my hands and bitch (though trust me – I do plenty of that as well), I’m committing to being a force for something better.

And it all starts with one person, one drop of rain.  

So here is my invitation to you. The world needs your aliveness. The world needs your impact. Join me in this journey to something better. Join me in creating a vibrant life as a drop of rain that creates positive ripples through its very existence, and joins with other drops to create a river – maybe even a torrent if we play our cards right – of positive change.

We have the potential to be a formidable force for something better – one person at a time, together.