eRipples: your free weekly splash of inspiration
from Paul & The Ripples Project
version 3.22: Ripples of REACHING!
Monday, May 28, 2001
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Those people are a success who have lived well, laughed often and loved much;…
who have filled their niche and accomplished their task;
who leave the world better than they found it;…
who looked for the best in others and gave the best they had.
-Robert Louis Stevenson, submitted by Mary Kurtz
BOULDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
We never know how high we are
'Till we're asked to rise
And if we are true to plan
Our statures touch the skies
The heroism we recite
Would be a normal thing
Did not ourselves the cupits warp
For fear to be a king
-Emily Dickenson (1871), submitted by HSN13
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I feel like I am about to embark on the longest roller coaster ride
ever and I am thrilled and terrified at the same time! The Ripples
Project has been steadily evolving from a few friends and colleagues
getting this email to thousands of people around the country (and
world, actually!) who are excited to participate in an organization
whose mission is to encourage small waves of kindness.
It thrills me to think about the opportunities we will have to make
it easy for people to inspire and reward kind acts amidst the busy
schedules we all have. Some of our subscribers have been inquiring
for months about how they can take a more active part in the
organization and this fall we will have several new ways to spend a
few minutes a week making a significant contribution to The Ripples
Project!
At the same time, it terrifies me to wonder what will go wrong! As
we move this newsletter over to the new home on The Ripples Project's
website, are we going to accidentally send a bunch of blank emails
which will cause a flurry of quick departures? Can our service
providers answer the many questions I have about creating and
maintaining an ecommerce site. Will we build it and no one will
come? Will anyone dance with me? (whoops, that is left over from my
8th grade graduation dance).
And that is what REACHING is all about: Thrills and Terror at the
same time! Fears and risks are not just the yucky parts of this
equation: they are the delicious spices that make new adventures
(and roller coasters) so exhilarating!
I am going to spend this week taking my hands off the safety bars,
reaching into the sky, and enjoying the ride. I hope you can join me!
Peace,
Paul Wesselmann
Monday, May 28, 2001
Monday, May 21, 2001
eRipples v3.21: Ripples of CRAYONS
eRipples: your free weekly splash of inspiration
from Paul & The Ripples Project
version 3.21: Ripples of CRAYONS
Monday, May 14, 2001
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There is no one I cannot teach something to,
and no one I cannot learn something from.
-original source unknown, submitted by
BOULDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
We could learn a lot from crayons:
some are sharp,
some are pretty,
some are dull,
some have weird names,
and all are different colors...
but they all have to learn how to live in the same box...
-original source unknown, submitted by Bridget Kesner
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It is always a treat to color in a new state on my "places I've been"
map, so I was excited to accept an invitation to address the Utah
Leadership Academy which was held last week in Ogden, Utah. The
mountains were magnificent, the Great Salt Lake was serene, and the
leaders I spent time with were among the most engaging I have ever
met!
I was also intrigued with the cultural climate and found myself
surprisingly nervous about the potential "values conflicts" I might
encounter. After all, I live in progressive Madison, Wisconsin and
imagined the more conservative flavor of Utah with its rich Mormon
history might be intimidating.
Fear tends to be rooted in a basic fear of the unknown; it took me
only a few minutes to discover that the conference participants had
much in common with my own value system. We had differences, of
course, and those differences fueled discussions that challenged us
to re-think some of our perceptions! In the end, it was our common
passion for helping others that allowed us to teach together, learn
together, and laugh together!
I'll have to find a special color for Utah so I can remember the
amazing scenery and my awesome new friends!
On another note, we are gearing up for a series of BIG CHANGES for
eRipples! My trusted website designer and technology wizard is
creating an expanded home for The Ripples Project which will include
the archives of eRipples as well as a new store where you can
purchase notecards, posters, and Ripples Cards! We are anticipating
a smooth transition, but we're also counting on your patience as we
iron out the inevitable bumps in the road!
Peace,
Paul Wesselmann
from Paul & The Ripples Project
version 3.21: Ripples of CRAYONS
Monday, May 14, 2001
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There is no one I cannot teach something to,
and no one I cannot learn something from.
-original source unknown, submitted by
BOULDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
We could learn a lot from crayons:
some are sharp,
some are pretty,
some are dull,
some have weird names,
and all are different colors...
but they all have to learn how to live in the same box...
-original source unknown, submitted by Bridget Kesner
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It is always a treat to color in a new state on my "places I've been"
map, so I was excited to accept an invitation to address the Utah
Leadership Academy which was held last week in Ogden, Utah. The
mountains were magnificent, the Great Salt Lake was serene, and the
leaders I spent time with were among the most engaging I have ever
met!
I was also intrigued with the cultural climate and found myself
surprisingly nervous about the potential "values conflicts" I might
encounter. After all, I live in progressive Madison, Wisconsin and
imagined the more conservative flavor of Utah with its rich Mormon
history might be intimidating.
Fear tends to be rooted in a basic fear of the unknown; it took me
only a few minutes to discover that the conference participants had
much in common with my own value system. We had differences, of
course, and those differences fueled discussions that challenged us
to re-think some of our perceptions! In the end, it was our common
passion for helping others that allowed us to teach together, learn
together, and laugh together!
I'll have to find a special color for Utah so I can remember the
amazing scenery and my awesome new friends!
On another note, we are gearing up for a series of BIG CHANGES for
eRipples! My trusted website designer and technology wizard is
creating an expanded home for The Ripples Project which will include
the archives of eRipples as well as a new store where you can
purchase notecards, posters, and Ripples Cards! We are anticipating
a smooth transition, but we're also counting on your patience as we
iron out the inevitable bumps in the road!
Peace,
Paul Wesselmann
Monday, May 14, 2001
eRipples v3.20: Ripples of WORRY FREE DAY!
eRipples: your free weekly splash of inspiration
from Paul & The Ripples Project
version 3.20: Ripples of WORRY FREE DAY!
Monday, May 14, 2001
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Worry gives small things a big shadow.
-Swedish Proverb, submitted by Lucia Patritto
BOULDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Worry is the misuse of the imagination.
When you have done your best,
await the results in peace.
-Audrey Woodball, submitted by Misty Lee Smith
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I woke up this morning, full of WORRY! In addition to a bunch of
deadlines for various projects, I had not worked on this week's issue
of eRipples and I wanted it to be a good one! I don't even have an
good excuse of a busy week! It was a no-travel, "hang out and spend
time with an amazing assortment of really cool people and not have
too big of an agenda" type of week. So I sat down to my computer and
started sifting through recent submissions and my worries grew as
nothing was jumping out and saying PICK ME, PICK ME!
And then I came across the above quotes and I knew what I had to do:
stop worrying! Look at the time right now, and make a commitment to
not worry for the next 24 hours. My clock says 9:30am right now so
until 9:31am tomorrow, every time I catch myself worrying I am going
to think of these quotes and put off worrying until later! Join me,
I DARE YOU!
Peace,
Paul Wesselmann
from Paul & The Ripples Project
version 3.20: Ripples of WORRY FREE DAY!
Monday, May 14, 2001
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Worry gives small things a big shadow.
-Swedish Proverb, submitted by Lucia Patritto
BOULDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Worry is the misuse of the imagination.
When you have done your best,
await the results in peace.
-Audrey Woodball, submitted by Misty Lee Smith
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I woke up this morning, full of WORRY! In addition to a bunch of
deadlines for various projects, I had not worked on this week's issue
of eRipples and I wanted it to be a good one! I don't even have an
good excuse of a busy week! It was a no-travel, "hang out and spend
time with an amazing assortment of really cool people and not have
too big of an agenda" type of week. So I sat down to my computer and
started sifting through recent submissions and my worries grew as
nothing was jumping out and saying PICK ME, PICK ME!
And then I came across the above quotes and I knew what I had to do:
stop worrying! Look at the time right now, and make a commitment to
not worry for the next 24 hours. My clock says 9:30am right now so
until 9:31am tomorrow, every time I catch myself worrying I am going
to think of these quotes and put off worrying until later! Join me,
I DARE YOU!
Peace,
Paul Wesselmann
Monday, May 7, 2001
eRipples v3.19: Ripples of BEGINNING
eRipples: your free weekly splash of inspiration
from Paul & The Ripples Project
version 3.19: Ripples of BEGINNING
Monday, May 7, 2001
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There will come a time when you believe everything is finished.
That will be the beginning.
-Louis L'Amour, submitted by Meghann McCall &
Monica C. Nohr
BOULDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy,
the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative and creation,
there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which
kills countless ideas and splendid plans:
that the moment one definitely commits oneself,
then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that
would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents,
meetings and material assistance which no man
could have dreamed would have come his way.
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
Begin it now.
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, submitted by Keith A. King
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Many eRipples readers are preparing for commencement ceremonies
around this time of year, either for their own graduation or for
someone they care about. We have come to regard these festivities as
the final step in a significant educational achievement whether it is
a year of kindergarten or a decade of doctoral studies. Remember,
however, that COMMENCEMENT does not mean THE END! The first
definition in my dictionary reads "A beginning!"
Whether you are preparing to leave school, leave a job, or leave
another part of your life behind, focus a bit of your energy on the
end of that life chapter and focus MOST of your energy on the new
chapter you are about to begin!
Peace,
Paul Wesselmann
from Paul & The Ripples Project
version 3.19: Ripples of BEGINNING
Monday, May 7, 2001
PEBBLE ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There will come a time when you believe everything is finished.
That will be the beginning.
-Louis L'Amour, submitted by Meghann McCall &
Monica C. Nohr
BOULDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy,
the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative and creation,
there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which
kills countless ideas and splendid plans:
that the moment one definitely commits oneself,
then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that
would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents,
meetings and material assistance which no man
could have dreamed would have come his way.
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
Begin it now.
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, submitted by Keith A. King
PONDER ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Many eRipples readers are preparing for commencement ceremonies
around this time of year, either for their own graduation or for
someone they care about. We have come to regard these festivities as
the final step in a significant educational achievement whether it is
a year of kindergarten or a decade of doctoral studies. Remember,
however, that COMMENCEMENT does not mean THE END! The first
definition in my dictionary reads "A beginning!"
Whether you are preparing to leave school, leave a job, or leave
another part of your life behind, focus a bit of your energy on the
end of that life chapter and focus MOST of your energy on the new
chapter you are about to begin!
Peace,
Paul Wesselmann
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)