An excerpt from "Make Virtue Viral" – by Nipun Mehta

A few years ago, I remember my aunt telling me a story of an accident she was in, on highway 101. The car spun around 180 degrees, slammed against the center divider, her windshield was broken, and her 1-year-old daughter was in a car seat, was screaming. As she tried to gather herself, a gentleman in another car stopped and came by her window: "Ma’am are you okay?"

My aunt replied, "I've just called 911, but it would be great if you could if you help find my glasses, so I can see more clearly." Her glasses had flown, and he did help her find them. In between, he got a phone call -- "Honey, I can't talk right now," he said and continued helping. Then he got another phone call, "Honey, I'll call you back." By this time, the cops were on the way, and things had settled a bit. When he got a third phone call, and he said, "Honey, I'll be there soon", my aunt said, "Looks like you really need to be somewhere. Why don't you go ahead? We’ll be okay now." And that man replies, "Well, it's my daughter's sixth birthday, and they're waiting for me to cut the cake. But you know, ma’am, if you were my wife, and that was my daughter in the back, I'd hope that someone would stop to take care of you till you're okay." He stayed till the cops came.

It was a beautiful act, but if you were to ask my aunt, it's most powerful effect wasn't on her or her daughter. It was on someone who wasn't even on the scene – her husband, my uncle. My uncle can never, ever pass a stranded vehicle without thinking of how a stranger stopped to help his family, once. So he helps.  And all those he helps will help others, and the chain will continue.

Today's dominant paradigm wires us to think big, control life, get noticed. But don't weigh yourself down with thinking big. Small is beautiful, because small connects. What you give up in the impact and scale of the action, you will gain in awareness and understanding of interconnections. That awareness, combined with skillfulness, will allow you to tap into the power of the ripple effect.  And so it is.