Freak in the Far East

The next Japanese Proverb I'd like to bring to your attention really stirs up emotions inside me that I feel has to be shared with you all.

出る杭は打たれる。 Deru kui wa utareru 

The basic translation - The nail that sticks out will always get hammered down.

As I walk around this unique city everyday, in awe of the activity going on around me, I try to listen inside, to what my instincts are saying about the people that are surrounding me.  I ask myself questions such as, can I connect with these people? This culture and their way of thinking? And as I stand on a jam packed train everyday completely full of people, where personal space ceases to exist, for 15 minutes the entire train rides along to it's various destinations, in complete and absolute silence. Not a word is spoken. Not a smile is shared. Nothing is being eaten or drunk. Couples show no personal affection, not even holding hands. Can I catch someones eye, give a smile and spread a little joy? The truth is,  It's very difficult to.

I've met some people recently, that have told me they don't like to listen to music. This came to me as a surprise, as music is one of my mains sources of happiness, and calmness, warmth and emotion, which adds obligatory flavor and spice to my life. A life without music would be, for me a very dull existence

The thousands of people that catch the trains everyday, what is their main job? Most of them seem to be dressed as office workers and business men. But so many people have so many creative talents that they could exploit and embrace, creating more art, music and doing a job that they love rather than have to go to. I remember England being a country that supported anyone who showed any bit of talent, to embrace it and help them show it to the rest of the world. I loved it for that and still do.

The happiest I've seen people here in public is in a nightclub, people expressing themselves through dancing and laughing, happily sharing joy with each other. Until... the police come and raid the place because dancing without a dancing license is illegal. So the happiness evaporates as quickly as it came.

After putting all of these things together, the above proverb started to make total sense to me. What if you are special in Japan? Different from the rest? Stick out like that nail, stand out from the crowd? Are you looked down on by the rest? That nail, that person expressing themselves differently because it feels more natural for them to do so, gets hammered down, to the place where everyone else is, to BE like everyone else. A population is much more easily controlled when everyone has the same type of thinking, no rebels to deal with only people who nod agree and do what they are told.

What kind of life is this though? The more important question, actually is, WHO's life are you living being this way? Yours or the person who is telling you how to think and feel everyday of your life?

This world is such an amazing place, and what makes it the most spectacular place to be is, that each of us, as human beings, are individually and interestingly different, making every person as special as the next. If everybody realized their uniqueness, their passions and acted upon them, upon their instincts and feelings rather than a way of thinking, it could definitely be said that it would take the monotony out of the every day life that we all feel caught up in sometimes. 

It's easy to get caught up in it, to give in, the be hammered down to the level of the rest. Who wants others to think badly of them? No one of course. But this thinking only imprisons you. Your whole life becomes shaped by what other people think of you. But everything you do, dress and say being based on what people think about you is not living a life of freedom. Freedom is a right everyone should have, and  gaining it is much easier than you think. The only step that has to be taken is to stop caring what other people think of you. Most of these people are in the street, and will probably never seen you again, and therefore will have no more effect on your life. Once you stop caring, and you will have the key to your freedom. It's a kind of bliss. Once you have mastered it, trust me, it's one of the most liberating feelings in the world.

 I've been brought up to believe that standing out is the greatest thing to do to progress and have an interesting and adventurous life. Standing out = being remembered. If you are remembered, the dreams that you have are more likely to materialize in front of your eyes. 

The truth is, every great opportunity I've had in my life, is because I have stuck out and done something different and out of the ordinary. I'd do extra research of companies before job interviews and even little things like changing dull homework activities in my classes to something exciting and personal that the students can relate to. Students never forget things like that. Takes some people years to speak Japanese? My objective is in another few months to have lengthy conversations in just Japanese. Different? Oh well, doing this will open many more doors in my life, as I'll be able to communicate with thousands more people, help and inspire and so the circle goes on. 

This is what I call living. And so I'm sorry to say I'm not getting hammered down any time soon. I'm reaching for the stars, and I intend to get there one way or another. 

Let's all stop caring what others think of us. Let's do only what we love the most in life. Let's act on our feelings, listen and trust only what our most inner instincts are telling us. Then we will be able to all  rise together and wherever we go, wherever we end up, we can make miracles happen, all around us. :)

Living in the Land of the Rising Sun

There's a Japanese saying, and the translation goes a little something like this:

A rolling stone gathers no moss. 

To the Japanese, this had two meanings, a positive and a negative. Of course, the yin and yang, the light and dark, the two sides of the coin.

First, a person who moves from place to place, never has to build attachments that weigh them down, and they have a free spirit, putting down their roots wherever the wind takes them.

The second is that people who stop moving and put their roots in somewhere, can build those attachments, of love, friends, routine and familiarization and live a content life this way.

So it's all about perspective, like everything in life. What's my perspective? Well actually that's what I'm still trying to figure out............


I've moved to a distant land, far far away. It's a land of magic. Everyday I wake up with genuine excitement, not knowing what I will see or experience that day. Japan is just full of surprises.

I love the Japanese's enthusiasm in what they do. Everybody who works, does so with the utter most passion, It doesn't matter what their job might be, they will do it with precision, concentration and cheerfulness. When they provide a service, they do so with Love and make it obvious they are grateful for providing that service to you, whether the person receiving is or not.

They appreciate whatever they have in their lives. If their house is small they will make the most out of the space that they have. Cook them food, and they will remember your kindness forever.

It's easy to put a smile on their face. Talk to a Japanese person and they will always smile about something.

Their mentality is inspirational. I haven't met anyone with split personalities, or mental illnesses. And they live for such a long time. They must be doing something right in their way of thinking, something I would like to learn from them.

But it seems they have two sides to their lives. While in public, their interaction with each other is zero. Sometimes on the trains, there could be 100 people in one carriage alone all squashed up, and it would be completely silent. Strangers will never talk to other strangers. In public they are very reserved. But then you will see a big advert on an outdoor TV of an anime, with crazy cartoons shouting and screaming, colorful and action-packed. The media that they make to entertain themselves seems to be completely the opposite of their public behavior. Not sure why that is yet. There are still many things I'm trying to understand.

But this country is the safest I've ever been in. You can walk down an empty alleyway at any time of the day or night, and no one will bother you. You can loose money, phone, whole bags, and you will always get it back somehow. But they have the death penalty here. They are completely OK with the idea with killing another human being if they are bad enough to be killed. Which is not part of my thinking at all.

When it snowed, I saw people coming out of their houses in the middle of the snow storm with a shovel, removing the snow from the roads. I thought it was to clear their own driveway for their cars, but later realized after I asked someone that they do it only for other people to be able to walk down those roads. They seem to live with love of the service of others. And it's such a beautiful thing to realize, that their are people, well a whole nation that still have this mentality in this crazy world that we live in.

Their love for nature is also admirable. They look after all trees, plants and even though their idea of keeping pets is a bit askew, also animals too. Even though I live in one of the most metropolitan cities in the world, with the amount of parks and wildlife reserves they have here, I still feel so close to nature. Even the sitting and sleeping on the floor makes me feel closer to the Earth. Also the uncontrollable nature, like snow storms out of nowhere, earthquakes that wake me up in my sleep.....it's removed my fear of these things, and instead I'm just in awe at the uncontrollable forces that happen right in front of me. It's also a great reminder that sometimes in life, we are just not in control of everything that happens.

I am though, 100% lost in translation. From travelling to the right destination, shopping in the supermarket, receiving bills and important post, are somethings ten times harder then they have ever been before for me. 3 Alphabets and a language far different from anything I've ever tried to speak. Even after learning how to read 2 of the alphabets, my vocabulary is not extensive enough to even understand what I'm reading, And with many ways to write one word that has many different meanings..... well it will be a long old journey to mastering Japanese. But teaching English over here, I've never felt so rewarded. Sometimes I leave my work, not tired, but uplifted, with a smile on my face all the way on my journey home. It's the exchange of teaching one thing and learning another, be it language or anything else, it feels so good that I never want to stop doing it.........

................... Even with these feelings of adventure and excitement for living, everyday I am reminded that I have in fact, embarked on a journey that has taken me physically away from everything I love, everything I'm familiar with, everything I've ever known and everything positive I've built in other lands. I've chosen to live life as that rolling stone that never gathers any moss.

And within me right now, behind the eyes that are the window to my soul, there lives a tiny obstacle of Fear. Fear of others peoples memories of me fading away into darkness.....Fear of peoples promises to me being broken and not being implemented, Fear that I am unable to do anything to help the ones I love while not being physically present, and Fear that I may be unable to communicate  that no matter how far I am from them,  the people that I left behind mean and will always mean so so much to me.

But one message I received today, telling me that the positive things I taught to others were being still being implemented, growing and changing peoples lives,  removed that obstacle, that Fear for a small while, and it was enough time to make an important realization. I may be a rolling stone, but while I've rolled around, I've left an imprint of Love on the ground, And because this imprint was made with Love, it's permanently engraved. Forever. Memories, promises, Fear itself may not last forever, but the EFFECT that I had from the actions I made with love in the past will live on - infinitely.

Just like the most influential musicians, artists, scientists and leaders, even if they have passed away, they acted only with Love, and their teachings will forever be in the minds of the people on this Earth.

So until it's my time to start gathering moss and putting down some roots, I guess I'll keep rolling on....

Say 'Thank You' - Create miracles.

"if you rejoice in the way

things are, the whole world will belong to you."

Lao Tzu

If we are all honest, when you say the words ‘thank you’ it feels amazing. And this unique and special feeling also arises when someone say it to you. This is the MAGIC inside of us, by the name of GRATITUDE. It can lift your spirits on a bad day, warm you on a cold day, and generally wherever you are, whatever your doing  and however you are feeling this beautiful feeling is guaranteed to put you in a good mood.

But do you know, it’s so much MORE than this. We underestimate the power of these words, not realizing that actually, they have the power to give you EXACTLY what you want, to completely transform your life from something that has constant up’s and down’s to something that stays on a constant level of love, peace and happiness.

How is that humanly possible you may ask? Isn’t life suppose to be full of these up’s and down’s? A rollercoaster ride? Well in the society that we live in now, it’s very easy to be dragged along a rollacoaster ride of madness and think that it’s completely normal because everyone else is also hopping on the ride too. But the TRUTH is we aren’t alive in this universe to experience these ‘downs’. The universe wants to give us EXACTLY what we want, of course, it wants to be full of happy people!

How do we unlock the precious knowledge of getting what we always dreamed of? Well actually the truth is we’ve known for centuries, but we have just forgotten along the path of history. The passage below came from a holy script written by Gospel of Matthew many years ago.

“Whoever has will be given more, and he will

have an abundance. Whoever does not have,

even what he has will be taken from him.”

It’s a little confusing but after researching  and reflecting, I discovered that it was talking about GRATITUTE. The MORE you GIVE it, the more you will RECEIVE, the LESS you have the MORE that will be taken from you.

Every single day of our lives there are so many things to be grateful for, which we never give thanks to. And when things go wrong and we tend to keep thinking negative, forgetting that there are still so many things to be grateful for, and so things tend to just get worse and worse.

But even in negative situations there is so much to be thankful for.

Everything that has an action has a reaction.

Give thanks to the universe and it will give to you the help you need to reach your dreams. And this is how you do it:

1^st step

Start every morning just after you’ve woken up, before you get out of your bed, search for 10 things in your head that you are thankful for. It could be the air you breathe, or the amazing dinner you had lastnight, or the beautiful sun that’s shining through your window, or the excitement of seeing your loved one that day. And say THANK YOU for each one. You will also start your day in good spirits by doing this.

2^nd step

Try to say thank you as many times as possible during the day, for little things that make your life easier for example my health that allows me to walk and work and cook, to big things like a friend helping me when I really need it. The MORE gratitude you have, the QUICKER your dreams will come true.

3^rd step

Every night before you go to bed, think of all the best moments of that day and say THANK YOU for each one. You will also be guaranteed a goodnights sleep this way.

4^th step

Make a list of your top ten dreams of all time. Ten things that you want more than ANYTHING.  Imagine yourself fulfilling each dream, spending one minute on each one. Write THANK YOU next to each one and put it in your purse/wallet. Once a day take it out, read it to yourself and say THANK YOU.  

5^th step

Before something important happens in your life, give thanks for the opportunity, imagine everything going smoothly and say THANK YOU. And everything WILL go well.

6^th step

When a friend is unhappy and you want their happiness, say THANK YOU for them being in their life, IMAGINE them happy and say THANK YOU for their happiness. And watch their lives transform in front of your eyes.

After these 6 steps you will notice a profound change in your life, in your mood and in your every day perception. Everything will shine!

AND to prove this method works, I will write 5 things that I most desire the most. In the next few months I will write here again, telling you that they have all come true.

Good luck with yours. 

Oh and thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all of you for reading this.

My five top ten desires.

• -      For the next phase in my life starting in January to go as smoothly as possible without complications
• -      To enjoy my next job and make lots of new friends.
• -      For the man that I love to become the Superman he is destined to be and be forever happy
• -      To help many people along my path
• -      For all my friends and family to be happy

Diwali - The festival of lights.

Can you imagine a country in the world without a Christmas celebration? Wouldn’t it be awfully dull at this time of year?

Well, although India hardly holds these types of festivities, it still doesn’t miss out on  the fun and magical potential that’s contained within the winter months.

In fact this time of year for the people in India is exceptionally special, as Diwali, the festival of lights is celebrated by all, taking place every November.

Over a magical period of 4 days, the whole of India is lit up with every form of light that you can possibly imagine, including candles, lamps, fairy lights, firecrackers and fireworks. People will usually place these lights in any place that can be seen with the naked eye, on rooftops, around gardens and courtyards.

What’s with all the fuss about light then, you may ask. Well believe it or not, the original story is very lovey-dovey, a typical romantic fairy tale, with a ‘once-upon a time’ and a ‘happily ever after’.

In the land of the Hindu God’s, Prince Rama and his wife Sita, were banished by the king of the land to live in the forest. They dwelled there for 14 whole years, when there was a sudden turn of events. Ravana, (who happens to have ten heads) decided to kidnap Princess Sita.

And who better to come to the rescue then the almighty Monkey god, Hanuman!  With the strength of both Prince Rama and Hanuman, together they rescued the princess. As they set off on the journey back home, it just so happened that that night was a moonless night. They were as blind as bats and couldn’t see a thing in front of them. The people of the village decided to give a helping hand, and so they lit many small oil lamps along the path to guide them back safely home.  When they arrived, Rama was crowned King.

And it’s this very special light that gave birth to this beautiful celebration, signifying light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.

It’s a great way to remember that no matter how dark and evil the place is that you may dwell in in your life, the strength and power of goodness will always conquer.

Try lighting a candle of your own tonight and see for yourself how easily darkness can be defeated.

Knock Knock - Time for change

'Knock knock. '

'Who's there?' 

'It's Time.' 

'Time who?'

'Time for Change.'

'Ah....'

'Open the door and take my hand'

'I'm too comfortable here. I want my life to remain the same. Even if I'm not happy with my life, I know what to expect. And knowing is better than not understanding. I'm sorry, but I don't want to open the door.'

'But not understanding is mystery, and mystery is the gift of beauty that life has given to you. Even if you do not wish to open this door, my force will eventually be too strong and knock it down completely. There will be no more barriers and I will enter your life against your will.' 

'But I'm afraid.'

'Don't be scared, child. The more you resist, the more you will be hurt. And my intention isn't to hurt you. I'm only here to help you grow, progress and guide you safely through life's mysteries and unknowings. Open the door and embrace what I have to give you, and I promise the fear and pain will go away.'

And so after eradicating the fear in his heart, left with only love and light, he opened the door. And Mother Nature's circle of perfection continued it's due course, unbroken by the egoistic human mind. 

Autumn turns to winter.

Winter turns to spring.

Birds leave their nests they worked so hard to build, only to to migrate miles away, work just as hard, and build others.

The fluctuating force of the wind changes the surface and appearance of our seas.

The rising and falling of the sea changes the shape of our land.

The face of the moon changes each day, to give us something new, fresh and beautiful to look up to every night of our lives.

It seems just about everything in Mother Nature is constantly changing, with such a force of which we have absolutely no control over.  So why is it only us, also a great part of Mother Nature, the only living thing on this planet that FEARS change. Struggling everyday against an uncontrollable force, even doing things to prevent and avoid change entering our lives completely. Well, don't we sound just borderline crazy........?

Change comes knocking on our door at various different moments of our lives. It could be in the form of something small, like the supermarket doesn't sell the product that you always buy, and so you are forced to buy another one. Or a new person comes to live with you or work with you, and changes the normal course of events throughout your usual day.

Or it could be a stronger knock, moving house, changing job, letting go of someone who you love that is starting to have a negative effect in your life.

And what do we tend to do when we hear these knocks? Ignore them of course. We think, 'if I just pretend it's not there, it will go away.'

'I'll stay living in the same town my whole life, because I know where everything is and moving will risk losing all my money, time and effort and I might be left with nothing, and then who would I be? What would I be worth?'

"I'll try to keep my body and appearance looking young, even while I'm entering elderly years, because I'm scared of looking at myself in the mirror, knowing that I'm nearing my death'

'I'll stay with the person that I've been with for so long, even if our flame of passion has well and truly burnt out and there's nothing positive left between us anymore, because I'm used to his/hers behavior and I might never find someone else who loves me and wants to be with me again. I don't want to be alone.'

I'm here to tell you that none of these thoughts are solid, or real.

Just like the seasons change the environment around us, changing YOUR environment, moving house, town or even country, revitalizes your soul with the food of magic that is needed to keep your spirits high and your mind healthy.

Just like the flowers that grow in the fields, that bloom until they reach their maximum beauty, and then begin to wilt, never losing their beauty because it still exists within their GRACE, embracing the aging process of your body with the same grace brings a glowing light of wisdom and respect to your spirit, which can be felt by your children and grandchildren and you in the end you become a source of inspiration for them. The elderly who always complain about their aches and pains and are miserable are usually ignored or harassed by the younger generation, and then it's hard for anyone to remember them as a positive person when it is their time to pass away.

And just like the ever changing positions of the stars in our endless sky, constantly exploding into birth or death, the energy of love within a long lasting relationship changes throughout our lives. From the start where the love is enriched with passion and romance, a change eventually occurs, as the passion and romance starts to die down, the love is then filled with an energy of appreciation for each other, grateful for each other's dedication to one another. And after these two people grow elderly together, the love changes again into an energy filled with pride and gratification because of everything that they have achieved in their life together, the beautiful children they have brought up onto this Earth and the grandchildren that have been brought up in the same loving way.

And if certain events happen that stopped the possibility for the love in a relationship to be exploited by one another, letting go and going separate ways does not mean  that this love has disappeared. Again it's just changed into another form that allows them to be separate but still have the strong need to care for each other, being there for each other for the rest of their lives if they ever needed each other's help.

There's a change knocking at my door right now. I'm not going to ignore it. In fact, it's sound is very familiar to me. I know exactly what to do.

I will love everything positive that I have in my life right now, but do so WITHOUT unhealthy mental attachments. And when the day arrives that Change will open the door, reach it's hand out towards me, whispering into my ear 'it's time', I will grasp it firmly, letting it pull me into the next stage of this limitless life that we all have truly been blessed with. I will bring with me all the goodness that the last chapter of life has provided me, and enter the new chapter, with joy, acceptance and enthusiasm. And I will tell stories of the past, teach others and learn from others, inspire, love and exchange all my energies with everyone I meet,  until the very day of my death.

Whether you are waiting for a change to happen in your life, or avoiding it, just have faith. When the time is perfect, you will hear the knocking on your door. And when that day comes, you will know exactly what to do. Just like I do. With no mind and all heart, go on, and live.

Destiny's Hand

We have all wondered at some point, who in our life holds the steering wheel? Is everything predestined for us, or do we have 100% complete control over every situation that we come across? And the ultimate question of them all:

What do I do next?

 Well I have recently come to a conclusion for this puzzling concept, and have decided to tell my personal story to you about how I have contently and successfully answered this question for myself, bringing peace to my life, in the hope that it helps you find the right answer for your own puzzle.

My Story

As a child, my Dad would always teach me  that somethings happened because it was a magical force called 'Fate' and that we would just have to accept it. And that when we didn't know which decision to make, we should follow the signs that Fate has put in our life to follow, leading us on to the right path.

As you can imagine, I loved this concept as a young child. Life seemed so magically exciting and unexpected, like a big adventure awaited me and I couldn't wait to get involved and explore. However as I grew and my mind became more adult, I experienced things that made me feel such suffering that of course, I started questioning the existence of Destiny or Fate. I use to ask myself, 'If it was leading me to good things, why on earth am I feeling so much pain right now?' And so I started putting my own hands on the steering wheel and I tried to take control of the direction of my life, to swerve away from anymore pain or anything else that could hurt me.  And, for a while, I thought it had worked. But I was wrong.

Recently, I went through a very particular experience, one that I have never been through before. And since its beginning,  I can honestly tell you that I've had absolutely no control over my life. The steering wheel, which I thought I had a firm grip on, had been forcefully ripped from my own hands, and was steering itself. And what kind of experience can possibly do such a thing, I hear you ask?

Taking away the ability to walk. I am fortunate that the fracture in my ankle was small, but it still resulted in 4 weeks of not being able to go anywhere or do anything that you would normally have to go or want to do. To stay put within 4 walls with only your thoughts to accompany you, after some time, a very peculiar change begins to take shape inside of you. And I only realized the true essence of this during my healing process.

All of my perceptions changed. Not only the way I perceive things, but also the way I sense things, with all six of my senses. 

Now I'm able to cook again, every mouthful of the food in which I make is full of flavour and an absolutely pleasure to eat.

Now I'm able to feel the sand between my toes, it feels so much softer.

Now I'm able to hear the sound of the sea, it makes me feel so much calmer.

Now I'm able to see the many stars in the sky, they seem so much brighter.

Now I'm able to walk from one end of the street to another on 2 feet, an unstoppable smile is always brought to me face. 

And now I'm able to feel a real genuine smile again, it sparks more intensely in my heart, making it ultimately more contagious.

In fact, everything around me feels brighter, more intense and I can feel a power on this Earth that I never knew existed before. My instincts have also become more in tune, and scarily accurate. 

It's made me suddenly become more drawn to Nature. To watch a flower in the wind, just being, just existing, can suddenly obliterate every negative thought or feeling that's inside of me.

I'm filled with this new appreciation. A revitalized energy. And all because of an experience I had in which I had NO control. No say. No interference. 

Do we all have moments in our lives of which we have no control? Even if your answer is yes, there is one experience, in which we have all been through that was completely guided for us. And that's the first 9 months of your existence, within your mothers womb. Within those 9 months, EVERYTHING is provided for you to live, to survive and to grow. Destiny's hand guides us through until the very moment of your conception. And what about afterwards? Your life on Earth has begun, why would you ever think that at that point, Destiny would loosen it's grip?

Because all of the conditioning and brainwashing that the mind goes through as we grow up in this society, over time,  results in the complete denial of Destiny's existence.

I can honestly say now with all the truth of my heart, that even after the ability of walking was taken away from me, Destiny NEVER let go of my hand. The happiness I feel with my new founded perception is not something I can fully describe in words. And as long as I follow it's guidance and look for it's signs, removing the social conditioning that has poisoned our minds, it will only lead me to a life brimming with love, light and a fulfillment in which we are ALL entitled to feel, as beings within this universe, in all it's miraculous entirety.

Now breath in and let go of the negative energy, the problems, the worries, the identities in your mind and the misconception of your hands on that steering wheel. In fact, stop thinking completely, reduce the mental noise inside your heard, and just feel. Just be here, and now. And all of a sudden you will soon start to feel the tug of Destiny's calling, pulling you towards the path made only for you. And you will know exactly what to do next........

The Ripple Effect

Try taking a pebble, dropping it into calm water and seeing what happens. The beautiful patterns that emerge hold a huge significance for everyone. A small pebble creates the first circle, which in turn creates the next and the next, until they spread throughout the pond. 

The significance is this.

This pond represents your life. The pebble represents any one thought  you have  ever thought or any action that you have ever implemented. And every circle  that is created, one after the other, after dropping this pebble, represents different occurrences that happen in your life. 

Some you can easily see how each of these occurrences connect with the initial thought or action that you thought or did. Other times these occurrences are shocking, and you have no idea where they come from. Sometimes, you realise only after some time how all the ripples connect with each other, how one made the other and the other. How that happened because that happened because that happened. But they all originated from one thought, one action, one pebble. 

Everything happened for a reason.

Now the scale of this initial thought/action/pebble is unimportant. it could be the smallest thing you could do, or the tiniest thought you might have. A smile to someone on the street. Your first thought in the morning being 'today is going to be a good day'. All these things will create a ripple after a ripple after a ripple. And once the rippling occurs nothing and no one can stop the process. Destiny is written. the circles will form. and we will have no control.

If the pebble/thought/action is positive, then in turn, only positive ripples can be formed, only positive occurrences can happen in your pond of life. If they are negative, then the continuation of negative occurrences won't stop... until you throw a positive pebble into the water. Until you have a positive thought, or a positive action which will interrupt the negative ones, and change the course of occurrences.

I've done many things for many people. Without expecting anything back, and only with love. Sometimes I feel very very drained  after having given too much of myself. And just at that moment of need, when I need energy the most, news comes to my ears.  From a life that I changed by spending time with them, advising them or even just saying a few kind words. Just because you can't see the effects immediately, does not mean they are not rippling. They will show themselves to you, at the right time.

There are people that I have met that have completely changed my life. And there are also people that have told me I've changed theirs. 

With every positive thought/action/ stone, we are changing each other. With every single positive thought or action, slowly, we are changing the entire world.