It’s the most wonderful time of the year! (Did you just sing that along with me?) As we get closer and closer to Christmas it seems like the days get fuller, the nights colder and the holiday spirit hums near a fever pitch- especially if you have children. But the other amazing thing that happens this time of year is that we tend to instinctively turn outward. We hunt for the perfect present for each of our loved ones. We even make sure to give neighbors and friends a token of what they have meant to us in the last year. And we tend to be more charitable than we are most other times of the year. At IPG we have also been feeling the urge to turn our hearts outward toward our fellow man. We have been trying to find ways to impact the lives of others in large and small ways, and at the same time trying to find more love and charity within ourselves. It is said that by small and simple things- great things shall come to pass. Who has not felt the ripples caused by a positive act? Whether it is a stranger who purchases breakfast for a restaurant full of patrons, a benevolent stranger who pays off $10,000 in layaways, or just a smile and help with a door in a crowded shopping center, these acts tend to create ripples of positive energy that radiate out and affect others. In this New Year, our IPG team has decided to commit ourselves to being the stones that create the positive ripples in others’ lives. Our acts might not always be big and most of the time they will be anonymous, but we hope that they have a positive impact on not just our team but those who are touched by the positive ripples of our actions. You never can underestimate the power that a simple act can have on another. We hope that you can join with us and help us create positive moments in the lives of others.