One Simple Act:
The Ripples We Send
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” — Marcus Aurelius
Imagine for a moment that you’re on the way to work when suddenly, a car cuts you off in traffic.
It’s a small thing, really. No collision. Just a flash of poor judgment, a moment of selfishness, or maybe someone rushing to the hospital or running late to daycare dropoff. You’ll probably never know the reason. But in that instant, your heart rate spikes. You feel disrespected. Threatened. Angry.
Now what?
That one act, if you’re not careful, can become a stone dropped in your pond. The ripple hits the surface of your day. You grip the wheel a little tighter. You mutter something under your breath. Maybe the next driver you interact with gets a shorter fuse. Maybe your tone with your coworker is a little colder. Your patience with your spouse is a little thinner. Your kindness at the coffee shop… withheld.
And just like that, a single moment has changed your entire rhythm—and maybe someone else’s. The ripple moves forward.
I call this the Ripple Principle of Leadership. And it starts with what I call One Simple Act.
The Core Idea
After I retired from the Army, I found myself struggling to stay grounded. I’d lost the uniform, the structure, and—at times—the clarity of mission. One day, in the middle of what felt like another directionless stretch, I asked myself, What’s one small thing I can do today that makes the world around me better?
That’s it. Just one thing.
Hold the door. Pick up a piece of trash. Say thank you and mean it. Send a message to someone who needs encouragement. Pay attention to the person no one’s noticing.
That became my rule: Do at least one simple act a day.
No fanfare. No social media post. Just a small effort to make a positive ripple.
Over time, it changed me.
Not because I changed the world in one heroic swoop—but because I chose how I responded to the world. And that choice re-centered me.
Ripples Work Both Ways
We’re all carrying something. Pain. Pressure. Exhaustion. That driver who cut you off? You don’t know what kind of day they’re having. But what you do know is the kind of day you want to have—and the kind of impact you want to make.
Every action you take is either a stone of escalation or de-escalation.
One curse muttered at the wheel may never be heard, but its effects may still carry. One act of grace—letting someone merge, choosing not to react, offering a wave instead of a finger—can stop the chain.
We teach this in the Army. You’re responsible for the morale of your team. And morale doesn’t just come from command guidance—it comes from everyday moments. How you show up. How you model discipline. How you treat your peers, your subordinates, and even those you’ll never meet again.
Leadership Without a Stage
Leadership isn’t always about giving a speech or writing a policy. Sometimes it’s about controlling your tone when you’re frustrated. Or taking the high road when no one would blame you for lashing out.
When you commit to one simple act a day—just one moment where you intentionally choose to do the right thing—you begin to build a discipline. You start to lead quietly, humbly, and with impact. Even if no one sees it, you do. And that’s what reshapes character.
The truth is, the world is already filled with too many people doing the easy thing. Lashing out. Cutting corners. Feeding outrage.
We need more people choosing the hard right over the easy wrong—especially when no one’s watching.
What Happens When You Get It Wrong?
You will. I do.
You’ll snap at someone. You’ll lose your cool. You’ll ignore the little voice telling you to show grace, to turn around and help, stop and pick up that bit of trash lying in the parking lot. That’s human.
The Stoics didn’t expect perfection. Marcus Aurelius wrote daily reminders to himself because he knew he’d fail. The key is to recognize it, correct it, and recommit.
That too is a ripple.
One apology. One self-correction. One unexpected act of humility.
Start with One. Always One.
This isn’t a grand philosophy. It’s practical. Grounded. And it works whether you’re a four-star general or a first-time parent.
Try it.
Today, do one simple act that makes the space around you better. Then watch what happens. Watch how it calms you. How it lifts someone else. How it reminds you that you’re not helpless, even in a chaotic world.
Leadership isn’t something you earn and then possess forever. It’s something you practice. Every day.
And it starts, simply, with one act.
I got your six.
— Terrance