Newton's Third Law of Motion

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.



When Isaac Newton came up with this law he was referring to physical forces acting upon one another. My. Newton at the time did not realize how his law was oh too true when it comes to our interactions with each other.



I was told an incredibly sad story the other day from a stranger I had just met. Though sad, it is a great example of my point. It goes as such.....





 A boy decided to rebuild an old motorcycle with his father. They decided it would be a great father son bonding experience. The bike was completed and ran like a dream. The son decided to take it for a ride to complete a few errands. On his way the bike stalled out at a stop light. When it turned green he attempted to kickstart the bike. As he did so another car failed to see him and ran the boy over. The driver of the other vehicle was not drunk, high, or on their cell phone. They simply did not see him. This person I met saw this accident came out of their car to help the boy. He described the scene to me in gory detail. There was nothing that could be done and the boy died in his arms.





This may be an extreme example, but each of those people had an extreme effect on the lives of each other. The boy's image will forever be burned into the minds of those left behind at that scene. The father I am sure will have regrets about building that bike. The driver will wonder why he didn't see him.





Our day to day lives are just like this without the necessary tragedy. Each interaction we have with others has some sort of effect no matter how small. Think about simple things like when someone holds the door open for you, or in another case doesn't even look and shuts that same door in your face. Imagine the times when a stranger has said hello, or a waitress has been pleasant to you. These little minuscule interactions can impact our mood, thoughts, and how our day will be lived out.





Yes, when it comes down to it we are in charge of and responsible for how we act and feel. I will never claim that it is ok to simply let others ruin your day or to single handedly make it a better one. What I will claim, however, is next time you want to take out your bad attitude on a struggling waiter, or take out your bad work review on that annoying telemarketer just remember that what you say does have an effect. So sure maybe you wont change the world with a smile and heart felt hello, but it sure can't hurt. Who knows what sort of changes we make with our every day actions, but one thing is certain.



What you do today will not only change your own destiny, but those around you.