The Power of One

I am sitting in Grand Rapids airport. Right about now I am supposed to be somewhere in the air between Chicago and Las Vegas, on my way to speak at a conference, but that did not happen. 

Instead I am stuck. Thankfully only for a few hours (knock on wood). And I am not scheduled to speak until the last day of the conference on Sunday, so there is hope. 

1,473 flights (and counting) have been cancelled since this morning, and I don't even know how many delays. Flight employees are calming telling passengers over and over the bad news that they are not going anywhere. Some people are not as lucky, I have been giving out restaurant recommendations and info about Art Prize all morning. Well, at least I get to fulfill my role as the unofficial spokesperson for Grand Rapids, Michigan. :-) 

So why is all this going on? Just. One. Person. Apparently an employee was upset at work, and decided the best way to deal with that was to cut some wires and himself, and douse everything in gasoline and light it. This employee happened to work in a radar tower in Chicago O'Hare Airport, so the ramifications were quick and widespread. 

Not Flying Today? You Should Still Pay Attention!

It is easy to write off the actions of a person (clearly who has bigger issues), and think nothing more about it. But this is a grand example of the power of one. YOU can make a huge difference in the world around you. We live in an incredibly interconnected world. The choices that we make have a ripple effect outward in an incredibly powerful way. Arguably more so than ever before in human history. 

Each and every single one of us has a choice what to do with that power. We can ignore it. We can act in fear, anger, or frustration, like this person seems to have been doing. 

Or, we can make it matter. As millions of social media posts are posted and in the age of the selfie, it can seem like a constant attention grab. We can quickly feel like we will never be heard, we don't matter, and the world is too big. 

Every little choice ripples. Every big choice ripples. Don't be afraid of your power - embrace it, and use it to make the world a better place. 

What Can Your Super Powers Do Today? 

Stuff is really gummed up today in the transportation industry. Let's all work together to fix it a little. Be kind during rush hour, or going through a construction zone. Take the time to give a #FF (follow Friday) shout out to someone on Twitter with a nice note. Thank someone that deserves it. Give an extra hug to your kids. Start that project. Donate to that cause. Sign up for that 5k. Or whatever doing good in the world looks like to you. You may never know just how much difference you make. 

And if you want to, tell me about it - I love to hear good news (and have some time to kill in this airport). ;-)