Life Through Film
“Stories reminding ourselves of Universal Truths,
that awaken us to our possibilities”
It’s Christmas, a time that speaks to, giving, caring, kindness, peace and goodwill to all.
A time of year that finds many excited by all the festivities, tradition, food, treats, decorating, being together with those you want to be together with…
A time of year that finds many dreading. Not being able to afford, being alone, very little that I listed in the previous paragraph.
Christmas, a one time a year event and yet everything often reserved for Christmas is what we need all year round, where whether you have too much or not enough is of little consequence.
Our choices, our attitudes, our actions, create ripples. What we do, what we say is energy and it ripples, it ripples out, touching, connecting, where its effect multiplies rapidly, exponentially it grows.
A super power we all possess regardless of our place in the world. A power where we have the choice to decide how the ripples we contribute to, affect the world.
Whether it is Christmas or any other day, whether we choose to be conscious and awake to this power or not, it exists in spite of us.
When we scowl and loose our temper. When we smile and show patience.
Anger or joy. Indifference or compassion. All create ripples, that grow into waves.
I make my way to the check out in a store and a lady motions to me to go ahead of her as I only have two items. The woman in front of me, her arms are full and she wants a soda from the cooler, I open the door for her, another woman needs to know the time and I have that too. Ripples.
Remember the classic 1997 TV series, “Ally McBeal?” Ally is on the curb waiting for the light to change and she hears the song, “Tell Him” inside her head. Her shoulders start to move to the rhythm and then a little nodding from her head. The woman beside her feels it and starts to move to the beat. The man on the other side of her is feelin’ it too and he starts moving. Before you know it all the people waiting for the light to change and the sign to light up with “Walk” are moving to the music that is in Ally’s head. This ripple is now a wave.
Ask yourself what you wish your super power to contribute to; the well being of all or more unhappiness and suffering.
What do the waves from your ripples bring ashore?
When you smile at someone,
When you extend a compliment to anyone,
When you hold a door or give your seat to another,
When you pick up something someone else has dropped,
When you motion a fellow driver to enter traffic,
You create a ripple.
They feel better and then they pass on what you have given them.
The ripple grows
It never stops with you
Know every ripple you create carries on and on
Multiplying faster and faster
It moves beyond you and long after your contribution it continues
It does not stop.
You hold the Power of The Ripple.
How do you choose to wield the Power of The Ripple?
Is it for the good of all?
You do not need to do a great
You only need to do a little
Every day
Your little ripple keeps moving and grows into a wave.
Like at the ball game
All you do, your part, is you standing and waving your arms
But you watch the same action of complete strangers continue through the stands.
Your ripple is part of a wave.
A 10,000 people wave.
An illustration only.
Your daily, “little good” ripple creates a wave that can escalate potentially into 8 billion people feeling the energy of your choice.
How will you contribute to your 8 billion fellow humans?
Will it be a smile or a scowl?
Will it be a, “Hello how are you?” or a “Go back to where you came from.”
Will it be, “Tell me about who you are,” or “You are different and you make me uncomfortable?”
When our ripples are negative they create waves that destroy.
When our ripples are positive they create waves that nourish.
In 1843 Charles Dickens penned a Christmas novella, The Christmas Story, centred around the character of Ebenezer Scrooge. The “bah humbug” nasty sort of being who cares for no one but himself. He’s given the opportunity to change by seeing the consequences of his actions.
Now fast forward, really fast, to 2022 to the film “Spirited” and you find Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds.
They bring back Ebenezer and then they take it forward into a message that hopefully many will embrace and hear again.
1843 and now 2022, we still need the same message because we still do not give enough thought to our choices and the ripples that grow into waves that we create.
Our world is our creation. Whether it be your home, your street, your community, your country. We need to take ownership of the part we play.
We are beings that need to wield the super power we all possess wisely, for the good of all.
May each day when we go out into the world, may we choose to do, “A little good” and know it creates a ripple where we are part of a wave that is of benefit to all.
Merry Christmas, but more important than one day every year.
I choose to create a ripple that contributes to, “Merry Days” all year round.
Do a little good
Maybe give a little more
Work a little harder than you did
The day before
It only takes a little good
Just a little good
And some doing what you can
Do what you can
Taking every chance to make the choice
To help your fellow man
And whether it’s Christmas Day
Or a random day in May
You’re gonna wanna say
That you tried the best you could
And a little is enough.
Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
View; Apple TV+
November 18,2022
View; Ally McBeal, Disney+ Series 1 Episode 17
Photos; Sharon Cooke, Internet film stock
Spirited
Director; Sean Anders
Written by; Sean Anders, John Morris
Based on; A Christmas Carol by; Charles Dickens
Produced by; Sean Anders, John Morris, David Koplan, George Dewey, Will Ferrell,
Jessica Elbaum
Music; Dominic Lewis (Score), Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (Lyrics)
Choreographer; Chloé Arnold
Starring; Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer, Sunita Mani, Patrick Page,
Marlow Barkley, Tracy Morgan