My dad recently told me a story I want to share with you.
He was in his mid-twenties and was on his way back from a football match.
He was on his own street, walking past the local pub when a group of four lads starting shouting abuse at him, looking for trouble.
He ignored them and walked on.
Next thing he knew, he was pushed onto the floor, getting punched and stamped on, mainly on his head.
A neighbour on the street saw what was happening and threatened to call the police, which made the four guys stop and flee.
The neighbour took my dad into his house and phoned an ambulance, he spent the night in hospital but left the next day with only minor injuries.
That happened in 1992.
He bumped into the wife of the guy who saved him the other day, she approached him…
‘Is that you? Do you remember me? My husband saved your life’
…
It hit hard with him as you might expect, but it also hit hard with me when he told me the story.
What if things had turned out for the worse? What if the neighbour had not seen what was going on? Would the kicking and punching have hit a fatal, irreversible point?
He might not have been here today. I certainly wouldn’t have been here today.
I wouldn’t have met all of the great people and experienced all of the great things that I have and surely will in the future. My dad would not have went on to positively affect other people’s lives, would never have met my mum and I wouldn’t have had the chance to live, nor would my future kids, neither would their kids…
Yet here he is.
Here I am.
Here we are.
I think my point is that you being here reading this post, me writing this post, are both quite miraculous events.
Every action, decision, event that has ever happened to you, your family, your friends, your ancestors, the world, the universe, has led to this point. To this very moment.
Whatever you choose to do, everything that you do from this point on is going to cause a huge ripple in the world. A huge chain reaction. You may not see it, you may not experience it, but it will be there.
Even the smallest actions are likely to have massive impacts, take simply having kids for example…
Image via: WaitbutWhy
There is you at the top of the your family tree. Those are all of your hypothetical descendants that will have their own hopes, dreams and desires and that will impact the world in their own unique ways.
Whether you have kids or not, whether you save someone’s life or not, you are important and your small actions can have a much bigger impact on people and the world than you think.
It’s a great gift to be alive. It’s a great gift to be able to positively affect the lives of others, and you probably do it in more ways than you realise.
Always remember that.