When you’re around service space, you hear a lot about the Ripple Effect and wonder how it works. This last summer, we were at lunch with Nipun and Audrey and many other love warriors who are part of the Service Space ecosystem. We were the recipient of a gift – a book called “A Greater democracy” by Sally Mahe & Kathy Covert. The discussion came up, how do you know the ripple effect of giving out a book like this? Well, it has been on desk and just about every day, I read a quote or two and get inspired by it. But the conversation was still there for me. How do you know? This morning as I opened my email from college and there was another instructor from a different college who shared with me from his online class discussion board. Evidently, I had given this book to students in my class and this was her sharing (I had no idea):

What’s the last really good book you read, the book that you would most readily recommend to a friend? Why did you enjoy it?

The last book I read was Peace Pilgrim. I was given this book by a teacher in a Peace Class at Golden West College. The story really impressed me. It’s a true story about one woman’s walking journey to spread her vision of peace and love in the world. Always joyful, she carries her message of peace and love while walking tirelessly across all fifty states, some provinces of Canada, and parts of Mexico. Her goal: world peace. This book may not be for everyone, but her story should resonate with anyone seeking a more loving and peaceful world. I enjoyed this book because I’m hopeful the world can be peaceful and loving, and anything is possible. As well as Peace Pilgrim, I also readily recommend A Call to Action (Women, Religion, Violence, and Power) by Jimmy Carter. Carter’s book is about women’s struggles throughout history and present.

Hope we get present to ripple effect of our actions.