Ryan Moran

It was Friday night. I was home alone. This made go a little crazy.

The cure? Obviously, it’s firing up a camera and recording myself cooking. What else? That is what everybody does when you work from home on a computer all day and your girlfriend lives 300 miles away. It’s totally natural.

Now cut me some slack – my chili recipe is REALLY good.

If you’re as bored as I was, you can watch me make it below:

If you’re actually watching this video, kudos to you. We must be friends, or you at least find me somewhat entertaining. And in THAT case, I feel really bad for you. In that case, feel free to stalk me some more by checking out my girlfriend’s raw food blog at http://www.LiveLifeAlive.com. I make a cameo appearance once in awhile under the pseudonym “Boy.” Thanks for keeping me company, y’all.

2010 was a year marked with struggle and a lot of difficulty. I’ll spare the details, but the end result is that I have been blessed to learn difficult life lessons that most people do not learn until much later in life. The most difficult of these lessons has been the quest for significance and meaning in the midst of a chaotic world that defines success in terms of dollars and notoriety. This became a mental virus as I sought to discover how to leave the world a better place; it seemed that I had to be very rich and/or famous in order to bring meaningful change to the world. Regardless of how successful I have been at a young age, or how successful others make me out to be, I always fell short when compared to an impossible standard.

My paradigm on this changed in an instant during a recent conversation with my dear friend and mentor, Travis Sago. In saying the following words, he was actually referring to his passion about his “get your ex back” product – he did not mean them as advice. However, they inspired new thoughts that changed my worldview. He said, “Maybe I’m a sap, but I believe in the butterfly effect. If my product saves just one marriage, maybe that couple will raise the child that cures cancer, and then we’ve changed the world.”

Those words helped adjust my perspective on how anyone can change the world, even with small acts (“acts of random kindness” as put in the movie “Evan Almighty”). It helped me realize that each action we take has a ripple effect that goes far beyond its immediate implications. Before long, small accomplishments that previously seemed insignificant were revealed as very significant.

For example, one of my buying and selling websites customers, Jesse, is now earning enough money that he and his wife have decided that it’s time to start a family. They’re now expecting their first child. The ripple effect from that is immeasurable.

One of the companies that I consult for has been on the verge of bankruptcy for years. Their new CEO sees the value in SEO and internet marketing, and they’ll likely see a tremendous bump in revenue as a result. The increased revenue could save hundreds of manufacturing jobs in Ohio, creating a tremendous ripple effect. And I get paid for helping to bring about the ripple.

An old acquaintance has serious social anxiety that prevents him from having any friends or even going outside, and I’ve made a point to visit him and take him out of the house once or twice a month. The ripple effect is small right now, but if his worldview is expanded a little bit each time we get together, then just maybe he’ll eventually be able to lead a normal life, have kids of his own, and the ripple effect will get bigger.

It became clear that every action has a ripple effect, and life has begun to take on a new sense of significance. Everyone changes the world based on the actions they take, the beliefs they adopt and share, and the things they do for others. Perhaps this is what Jesus’ meant when he said that we are the salt of the earth, because each of our thoughts, beliefs, and actions brings about change in the world.

We use this power every day. When we befriend the outcast, we create ripple effects that change his/her world and the world of every person that he or she interacts with. At work, we affect our coworkers and subordinates, and they affect their kids, and the ripple continues. We affect our customers, our beliefs influence our friends’, we pass our habits onto our kids.

In the same way, our negative actions have the same ripple effects. The careless word said to a friend, the castoff that we shun, the chance we don’t take, all have ripple effects that change the world. Thus, we all have the power to change the world for good, or for otherwise.

Previously, it seemed to me that one had to be of importance, or do something of grandeur, in order to change the world. Yes, those with more means may be able to create bigger ripples. For example, my friend Mark, who is building schools in Africa, has gone out of his way to create big ripples that change the world.

But now it is clear that I do not need to change the world – I only need to change myself. The world will change as a result.

Each of us has the power and ability to bring significant change. Each of us is powerful, regardless of age, income, location, or perceived influence. And we are powerful whether we choose to be or not. The only thing we can choose is whether to take heed of it and to use it for good.

And every day, in the words that we say and the actions we take, each of us changes the world.

“When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.

“I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.

“When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.

“Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.” -Anonymous