"You're only one drop in a limitless ocean. What difference can you make?"
"The ocean is made up of a million little drops."
I heard this in a movie I was recently watching and as I was thinking about this a little more, I get what she was saying but if it were me, I think I would've responded by saying "Yes, I am. But that one drop creates ripples. And in an ocean, those ripples can create tidal waves. So yes, I might be just one drop in a limitless ocean, but it doesn't mean I'm limited in my reach."
Shivers! Gosh, I'll let you just process that one really quick.
Done processing? Think about it. It's so easy to get caught up in the feeling that our lives are insignificant. That we don't make a difference. That we are just cogs in a machine. Yes, we are all drops, but how can we be the drop that creates the tidal wave?
Little acts of kindness is the first thing that comes to mind. And I don't discount those at all. In fact, I try to perform one act of kindness a day because I believe my life isn't just about me but those around me too. But if you look at history, all the drops that became tidal waves were people who didn't care what people thought about them and their believes, especially those whose beliefs were contrary to how the majority of people thought, like Martin Luther King Jr or Lincoln or Ghandi. To be a drop in a limitless ocean, you first need to drop, you can't just go with the flow, literally.
The cool thing is, we can all be drops if we want to. But it takes more than wistful thinking and heedlessly wishing on shooting starts to make that happen. It takes action and a true conviction in why you believe what you believe. Because that conviction leads to not only your action, but the action of others. That's how you become a drop that turns in to a tidal wave. People don't often follow people but they follow convictions and beliefs because that transcends beyond just any one person, which is why people like Martin Luther King Jr, Lincoln, and Ghandi are all still relevant and talked about today. They were convicted by beliefs. Beliefs that others held. Beliefs that people could rally around and support. Beliefs that transcend time.
And not everyone is called to be drops but ripples and tidal waves instead. To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm a drop or a ripple or a tidal wave. I'm still figuring that one out. But that's just how life goes. All I know is who I am and what I stand for. And that's all we really can do. Basically what I'm saying is be your authentic self whether that means being a drop or being a tidal wave. Know what you stand for and don't be afraid to be that solo drop. Who knows, you might just start the tidal wave that goes beyond space and time.
