Do You Sweat The Small Stuff?

I hope so.

Contrary to popular sentiment, I actually think it’s important to take care of the small stuff in life. For it’s only in the small stuff that the bigger issues can be resolved.

While enjoying coffee with my gym buddies the other day, we talked about how each of us personally felt about what we see happening in the world today particularly in relation to Zimbabwe, Tibet, Climate Change (all news makers these past few weeks). We agreed that man’s inhumanity to man is quite obvious in how many of our fellow human beings are behaving even though many will justify, excuse or endorse such things. We agreed that it’s terrible and awful and none of us like it, yet … what to do? Is there anything we can do that will make a sustainable difference in our world?

A few days later, while at the gym, I became acutely aware of how I could make a difference after going into the bathroom to wash my hands. There was water everywhere, all over the sink and surrounding vanity. My initial response was one of frustration: how could anyone just leave all this mess? I pondered this while washing my hands and as I was about to finish, I realised I was also in danger of just leaving this mess. After all, it wasn’t my mess per se, I wasn’t the one who splashed the water everywhere, I was just the person who came upon it this way. Then I realised – I am here and it is this way and I can do something about it right now. I saw that it cost me nothing to simply take my towel and mop up the water – so I did - and it took about 10 seconds. I got (again) the transformation that occurs when I take full responsibility for the whole of what is occurring in this moment.

So, you want to make a difference to the way your world is? The answer lies not only in the big dramas but in the small stuff that occurs every day, the stuff that you can respond to right here, right now. What are you waiting for?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"From little things, big things grow ..."

Paul Kelly