You are greater than you think!

This thought came to mind one sunny day along the beach of Boracay.  We just finished a dragon boat race and we're just sitting by the sand waiting for the announcement of winners. 

A friend sat beside me and said, "Do you know that this first International Dragon Boat Festival in Boracay happened because of you?".  

I looked at her quizzically before I exclaimed, "What?!  All I did was row today."  

She explained, "Remembered you called Jenny at 5 am in the morning to remind her of the training in Manila Bay.  She was hooked after day one and recruited me.  Then, I called my boyfriend in Boracay to try it out there.  He immediately formed a team. They enjoyed it so much and decided to organize an international regatta."

The Butterfly Effect

Imagine what one simple call has done.  This just proves to me that my actions create ripples.  A small deed can spur a great thing or a disastrous event (which most of the time I am not aware of).  The only determinant if it is a good or bad contribution to the world is my intention.      

Looking back, all I did was simply share what I love doing (at that time).  The intention was pure and clean and so the series of events after that turned out to be good not only for me but for my team and for rowers in different parts of the globe (I heard they still hold international races yearly.).

The learning for me here is to mind what I think and to consciously be aware of my agenda knowing that it not only affects me but others as well.

Conscious Living

Now, I understand what my friend Agnes Prieto wrote in If you don't mind, it doesn't matter:  

"If we mind our thoughts 

we live a life that matters."  

"However, most of us go through life unconscious—in a trance induced by media, other voices (from our upbringing, our present friends etc.) and circumstances.  Our minds operate on default. When we wake up in the morning, we don’t have to put on a mind, it’s there, running noiselessly giving us optimal service."

I agree with her that we have conveniently forgotten to rule our minds.  We let it run amuck like a wild horse.  Without a rider, it wantonly goes here and there making living a routine- pointless and meaningless.

If we simply turn off the auto-pilot, hold the reins of our mind,  and choose to think of quality thoughts (positive, good, beneficial) then we "operate from a position of power and live a life that matters"