Man hopes Ripple Effects of Kindness pledge prompts changes in metro

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - When you throw a rock into a pond, it sends out ripple after ripple, eventually reaching the edge of the pond.

That’s the idea behind the pledge “The Ripple Effect of Kindness," recently created by John McCarthy.

McCarthy is the past Director of the NAIA Men’s National Championship held each year here in Kansas City at Municipal Auditorium.

McCarthy was recently named the new executive director of Charlie’s House, a local nonprofit dedicated to kids’ safety in the home.

But McCarthy is on a mission to be defined not by his job title, but by what he’s able to do during his lifetime. That drove him to create the "Ripple Effect of Kindness Pledge."

The idea is one simple act of kindness within our little community will ripple outward, eventually improving our city, our country and eventually, our world.

On Jan. 1, McCarthy kicked off his Ripple Effect of Kindness pledge, by sharing a website. On the site, you can print off the pledge, sign it, have a witness sign it and then move forward with consciously being kind.

The following is a snippet from the pledge:

As such, I consciously Pledge…..

-          To use kind words and a kind tone with my family, while consciously trying to lift

my family members up, rather than putting them down.

-          To, at least once per week, perform one intentional act of kindness for another

human being.

-          To, at least once per week, sincerely compliment a stranger.

Perhaps you can make your own ripples, which can eventually change the world.