Be the 100th Monkey

In the early 1950s a group of monkeys on an island was observed and a very important lesson emerged.

 Sweet potatoes were dropped from airplanes for the monkeys and they began to eat them. However, not liking the grit of the sand on the potatoes, one young monkey went to a nearby stream and began washing the sand off the potatoes. She taught her mama to do the same and pretty soon all of the monkeys on that island were washing sand off the sweet potatoes in the stream.

 At a certain point a total of one hundred monkeys were engaged in this potato washing activity and, to the surprise of scientific observers, at the same time monkeys on other neighboring islands began to wash their sweet potatoes too.


There is speculation as to whether or not this actually happened or if it is a folklore story used to present a point. The point is this: If enough people, or monkeys as it were, engage in a specific activity, soon other tribes will begin to do the same. The lesson seems clear and is especially poignant for the times we are faced with today.

 Hatred spreads because that's what we see. Anger begets anger, prejudice and aggression beget more of the same. The time has come for all of us to take action by engaging in kindness and acceptance, by helping one another and spreading positive messages. Perhaps kindness can beget kindness. If enough of us behave in a compassionate manner maybe, just maybe, compassion can overtake the waves of hatred crashing across our country.

 Go out in the world and spread kindness and compassion. Be that 100th monkey who causes a tsunami of good deeds, gentle words, and right thought to spread throughout the world.

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