A Drop in the Ocean

I am fascinated by science. Here’s a mind-blowing fact. A drop of water contains 1.67 x 10^21 molecules of H2O. That’s 1.67 sextillion, 167 and 19 zeros.  Those molecules are in motion. Through the influence of entropy and the water cycle, a drop of water placed in the Atlantic Ocean from Folly Beach, SC, would in time disburse throughout the whole world. Someone in New Zealand would eventually drink some molecules from that drop. Similarly, air molecules work even faster. Just this summer, a sandstorm in Africa had a visible effect on the sunsets throughout the United States. These two scenarios exemplify the fact that the whole planet is connected in strange and incredible ways.  

It’s the same with human beings. One way to visualize this is to imagine that everyone is connected by a web of threads that respond to how each of us live. As we make decisions each day, we are sending out waves of influence to all of those around us. Those closest to us feel it the strongest, but the ripple effect can go all away around the world. This image generates a question for us: what kind of influence are we sending out each day? Are we contributing beneficially or detrimentally to those around us? Just like water and air, the quality of the environment is greatly impacted by what we add.

Today we will face new opportunities. We can choose to see the interconnectedness we have with each other. We can be aware that how we decide to live can have a substantial effect on the world around us. Just like each of those individual molecules of water coming together to form an expansive ocean, we too can find meaning and purpose working interdependently with each other. The choice is ours, what are we going to do?