With so much mayhem in 2020, so many of us are feeling helpless and hopeless.

So much feels out of our control.

While we embrace the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference, I am here to tell you that you have more power than you realize.

I explain this in a little verse for children and for the child in us all.

Each wave starts as a little ripple
in the water a little tickle
that spreads out
and grows and grows.
Where it stops
we can hardly know.

Each thought starts as a little ripple
in the mind a little tickle
that spreads out and grows and grows.
Where it stops
we can hardly know.

Each deed starts as a little ripple
in the world a little tickle
that spreads out
and grows and grows.
Where it stops
we can hardly know.

What we think
and what we do
ripples out and waves;
it’s true.

 Just think of the good
and do what’s kind
and more of the same
is what you’ll find.

What waves do you want moving through your life—then make those kinds of ripples?

Micro-movements toward our goals add up over time. My new micro-movements include walking 10,000 steps a day minimum. I love walking in nature. And no eating after 7 p.m. Tip: brush and floss your teeth by then. These ripples help add to a wave of good health. To create waves in publishing, I am writing every day again, even if just for a few hours in the morning. I have lots to say that I feel is helpful and this is the way to share it. I also love playing with language. It’s all about joy and purpose.

And to address the unsettled political scene in America, as well as the racial unrest, and oh, let’s not forget about the virus—I am working hard not to judge others for being attached to views that do not resonate with mine. I am looking to their hearts and not to their minds. This is challenging but critical, and I haven’t perfected it yet. I think it’s an ongoing effort. If I don’t want to be judged, I don’t judge others, or myself. If I want waves of connection and peace, I can’t be part of the polarization. What unites us all is our common humanity. And love.

Like Glinda the good witch to Dorothy who asks to go home at the end of The Wizard of Oz: you’ve always had the power. Though you go out and interact with the world and all the seeming dissonance, you can always come home.

What is home? It is safety and warmth and comfort and love and belonging and all that supports well-being. It is peace and it is joy. When you create a little more peace and joy at home for yourself and for your loved ones, it ripples out into the world. When all is well with our soul, all is well…regardless of the mayhem out there.

Every little thing she does…and he does…and you do and think and feel…is magic. So click those ruby red slippers together. There’s no place like home: my home, your home, our world.

For more about my book, The Little Ripple, with notes and activities, you can visit me here.