{"id":6794,"date":"2015-08-31T00:55:38","date_gmt":"2015-08-31T05:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/booksbylyncote.com\/SWBS\/?p=6794"},"modified":"2015-08-27T10:59:37","modified_gmt":"2015-08-27T15:59:37","slug":"author-and-composer-john-starley-allen-the-ripple-effect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/booksbylyncote.com\/SWBS\/new-book-release\/author-and-composer-john-starley-allen-the-ripple-effect","title":{"rendered":"Author and Composer John Starley Allen & The Ripple Effect"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"John-Starley-Allen\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I don’t often host a gentleman but I met John on Goodreads and he shared one of his Christmas songs here last year. This year he has a book to share with us, A\u00a0<\/em>Splash of Kindness.\u00a0<\/em>Here’s John:<\/span><\/p>\n

power of the\u00a0 ripple effect<\/strong><\/p>\n

Throughout my life the profound power of the\u00a0 ripple effect has captured my attention.\u00a0 But it was the following specific incident that served as the catalyst that got me thinking about writing a book on the ripple effect.\u00a0 Some aspects of the story are too personal to recount in detail, but I will touch upon the highlights.<\/p>\n

an old friend<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was visiting a city where my family used to live several years ago.\u00a0 As I was walking along a busy street a man hailed me.\u00a0 At first I didn\u2018t recognize him, but as he came closer I realized that he was a friend I had known in that city.\u00a0 We had been close, but after our family moved from that city, my friend and I had lost track of each other.<\/p>\n

Standing there on the sidewalk, we spent some time catching up with each other.\u00a0 And then my friend said a most astonishing thing to me.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, John, you changed my life.\u00a0 You realize that, don\u2018t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

dumbfounded<\/strong><\/p>\n

And, dumbfounded, I responded that I didn\u2018t know any such thing; I didn\u2019t know what in the world he was talking about.\u00a0 As far as I knew, I hadn\u2019t had any impact on his life whatsoever\u2014let alone a life changing one.<\/p>\n

My friend then refreshed my memory by speaking of an encounter we had just a few weeks before our family moved away.\u00a0 From my perspective, the incident was trivial\u2014just a few words and what I considered a very simple act on my part.<\/p>\n

didn\u2018t understand the significance of what I had done<\/strong><\/p>\n

And now as my friend spoke with me, he sensed\u2014probably due to my blank expression\u2014that I didn\u2018t understand the significance of what I had done.\u00a0 He explained what had been going on in his life during the period we knew each other.\u00a0 He explained that on this one particular occasion I had said just the right thing at the right time.\u00a0 And that a subsequent action on my part which I considered simple, was something that made a great impact on his life.<\/p>\n

a little self-conscious and awkward<\/strong><\/p>\n

This revelation of my influence on my friend somehow made me feel a little self-conscious and awkward.\u00a0 The conversation then shifted to other lighter matters.\u00a0 We exchanged phone numbers and addresses and promised to do a better job of staying in touch with one another.<\/p>\n

<\/strong>the right thing at the right time<\/strong><\/p>\n

That night in my hotel room I reflected on what my friend had shared with me. \u00a0 Without really knowing it, I had said and done the right thing at the right time.<\/p>\n

And I spent the night pondering how lives affect other lives in rather amazing ways.<\/p>\n

In the afterword of my holiday novel Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices<\/i>\u2014in which a man\u2018s simple acts of thoughtfulness have unforeseen yet profound effects\u2014I put it this way:<\/p>\n

Throughout my life I have been impressed by the “ripple effect”\u2014how just like the stone thrown in a pond creates ever-widening ripples, so can our actions have far-reaching consequences often unknown to us.\u00a0 I think we do more good than we know.\u00a0 And if we\u2018re aware of the ripple effect, hopefully we\u2018ll keep striving to do good.”–John<\/p>\n

\"Splash-of-Kindness\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To purchase, click here. A Splash of Kindness: The Ripple Effect of Compassion, Courage, and Character<\/a>\"\"<\/p>\n

I couldn’t have John as my guest without featuring one of his songs too. QUESTION: HAS ANYONE EVER THANKED YOU FOR A KINDNESS YOU DIDN’T RECALL OR DO YOU WISH YOU COULD THANK SOMEONE WHO DID A KINDNESS TO YOU IN PASSING? Thanks, John!–Lyn<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n