How Splashy Is Your Wave of Influence?
Another ocean wave crashes into the surf. Line after line the waves come, one after the other.
For a brief moment in time, each wave receives its glory. The loud boom. The crackling splash. The dizzying chaos of bubbles and foam and water.
Who will make waves today? Whose influence will splash the farthest? Whose noise will capture the most attention?
We watch our numbers. How many followers and likes? Does the bathroom scale weigh more approvingly today than yesterday? Is the bank account cushioned sufficiently for goods now and later?
Are we popular enough? Do we have enough friends? Have we created enough fame or fortune to be remembered after our splash has been assimilated back into the ocean?
Even the flashiest, noisiest, most attention-worthy of us will only have a brief moment to spray. The thin 15 minutes of fame is only good for one, two, or three generations at best, and only a limited number of news cycles at most.
So why all the hustle to rise above the rest? Perhaps we should ride the wave we’re on and celebrate the splashes around us, knowing we’ll all quickly enough be returned to the ocean water just like every other drop. Each valued for what it is, yet more important as part of the whole. The whole of humanity. The whole of belonging. The whole of beauty and life and love for eternity.
Make your splash, my friend. But don’t try to cling to it. The wave won’t linger past its time. Its beauty is in its movement from here to there, then back to the ocean.
Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Such wonderful wisdom in this reflection today, Lisa. May we not worry about the splash we make but how we are serving our God.
Blessings for a great weekend!
Very thought provoking!
I just read a post yesterday by a popular blogger, who was somewhat complaining about the pressure to be viral and perfect like all the things we see on IG and Pinterest…while at the same time noting she is absolutely part of the problem (e.g., her pantry where she built all the cabinetry and hand-made each tile that went into her backsplash).
Martha, in the comment above, gets it! I need to work on that.
Lisa, this provokes a lot of thought. We all try to make a splash in the ocean of influence. I am happy with the little droplets I’ve created because they bring back others’ splashes back at me. If my splashes don’t hit some people, theirs may miss me. I’m glad we met. Have a wonderful week, splashing in the ocean! 🙂
This is so wise! Our waves of influence are probably smaller (locale-wise) than we think but also more impactful than we think. Those numbers you mentioned don’t impact our influence at all. Great reminders. Visiting from the Crazy Little Lovebirds linkup.
Hi Lisa,
I think our desire to be remembered is tied to our desire for immortality.
We can’t live forever so being recalled for some amount of time after we stop consuming oxygen – is the next best thing. . . ?
Your words help us relax and be a bit more graceful about accepting the most likely reality of it all.
Still – I’d like to think that someone will be clicking on my blog site and reading my stories long after I’m gone.
But then Lisa reminds me that my wave and spray are really very limited.
Sigh. . . .
These are very wise thoughts, Lisa. Important words to live by! <3
The splash is what we’re going for, isn’t it? We want to be seen and heard and known. I appreciate the reminder of how temporary I am in the great ocean of time.
This is a good reminder that everything is temporary. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.
Great words to ponder and wonderful illustration. I read we are to be juicy – usually meaning enthusiastic but could apply here too.
Hi Lisa another thoughtful post to ponder and one that I’ve selected as my favourite for this week’s #Weekendtrafficjamreboot. Sometimes we worry too much about the ‘splash’ rather than focusing on the moment and the ebb and flow of life. Thanks again for linking up and have a beautiful week.
What a thought provoking post Lisa, thanks for the wise words!
I don’t think much about that stuff, I’m more about making the most of my time in the ocean for me! However, I have had acouple of freinds receontly comment how much they enjoy having me in their circle and it’s changed their life in a good way. That’s nice, esp as I’ve recently had some people I considered friends make me feel the reverse.,.lifting those around you can be enough of a wave in my opinion – more of a ripple, I guess. #AnythingGoes
Beautiful post! Thank you for sharing this.
Lisa, I absolutely loved this post! It has given me food for thought for today. Thanks so much. xx
Wow, Lisa. This may now be one of my favorites of your posts. What a beautifully written reminder: “Make your splash, my friend. But don’t try to cling to it. The wave won’t linger past its time. Its beauty is in its movement from here to there, then back to the ocean.”
As I read all I could think was … oh, but how the tide changes. I so appreciate the reminder to enjoy the splash, living in the moment.
For me I am just a casual hobby blogger. I feel I have stopped chasing influence a while ago because doing creative things stopped being fun. Once I stopped checking out social media and following the trends in influencing, doing creative things became fun again.
Excellent Lisa! So beautifully spoken. Amen!
Visiting today from Joanne’s
Hey Lisa, Thank You so much for sharing these wise words with Sweet Tea & Friend’s this month.
{{Hugs}}