Ripples #1377: The Next Right Move
Oct 13, 2025
PEBBLE
The way through the challenge is to get still and ask yourself, “What is the next right move? What is the next right move?” and then, from that space, make the next right move and the next right move….
~Oprah Winfrey, shared by Amanda in South Lake Tahoe, CA
BOULDER
You can’t mend a world, but you can mend the hole in the polka-dot pocket of your favorite coat. They are not the same thing, but they are part of the same thing, which is all there is — life living itself through us, moment by moment, one broken beautiful thing at a time.
~Maria Popova in THE MARGINALIAN via Friends of Silence
PONDER
Both of our quotes this week recognize the huge power in small, deliberate steps when life feels overwhelming. The Pebble provides a method: a calming, repeatable process to orient ourselves. The Boulder hints at meaning: a gentle reminder that tending to the small pieces connects us to the whole.
I’ve learned from experience that there are two common situations that tend to trigger my feelings of overwhelm: when I have a LONG to-do list that hasn’t been prioritized, and also when I’m gearing up to dive into a BIG PROJECT that hasn’t yet been broken down into more manageable “task snacks.”
The same is true when I think about the State of Things right now. There is so much that seems so broken in our society right now, and I often feel too small and insignificant to make much of an impact on all these Big, Hard Problems.
It gets a little easier when I take a few deep HERE NOW breaths and ask myself, “Ok, so what is one thing I could do today that could legitimately reduce suffering and/or increase joy? Then I get curious about what mindsets and actions have the most potential for ongoing positive impact….or, uhm….ripples!
So what’s the next right move for you today? Which small stitch, steady step, or tiny ripple might unleash a little more peace and a little more possibility? It’s one thing to think about it…and it gets so much more meaningful when you take action. Ready? Set…..GO!
Peace,
Paul