2011: Do small things well

 Let’s not leave it to hope, or fate. There is such power in doing small things well that each of us can make a positive change, not only for ourselves, but for those around us.
We all have dreams, but for most of us the gap between our reality and the dream is too wide to believe it will ever come true.
Whenever you are working toward accomplishing anything, if you do the small things well, you will be amazed at how quickly things fall into place to achieve bigger things than you ever thought possible. You need to be proud and appreciate every small step you take because that is really how you set yourself up to accomplish what you want.
Why?
Because how you take the small steps really matters.
The more energy and passion you are able to put into each small step, the better. And, you can really be inspired to give everything you can to the small steps when you appreciate the importance of each and everyone you take.
I’m a great believer in “not sweating the small stuff”. 
Not sweating the small stuff means not blowing up all the little things that happen in your life into something more than they are. It means moving past the drama of the small stuff and into a higher plane of peaceful well-being.  The small stuff happens every hour of every day.
However, the other side of that is the incredible power of small things. 
The compounding power of a series of small steps can create something very big.  You don’t run a 26 kilometre marathon, you take 9 000 small individual steps.  Small acts of kindness can make a big difference to someone else’s day.  Small details that nobody else notices or thinks of can separate you from the rest of the pack.  You can be extraordinary by doing small things.
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of Heaven and Earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
Is there a place for bold action, dramatic change, and big audacious goals?  Certainly! But there is only so much room for those.  Don’t forget the power of the small things you can do all day every day.
Imagine a few small acts of kindness done every day of your life, each one making a difference to someone else. 
What a legacy you would leave and it would cost you nothing! In fact, it would benefit you immeasurably.
One kind compliment to a harassed sales clerk, one small sentence of encouragement to a colleague, or one small act of helping a neighbor or a complete stranger. 
In small acts of kindness, you see the incredible power of small things. As Mark Twain said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.”
Are you always trying to make a big impression on someone? That’s difficult, stressful, and often unsuccessful.  How about making easy and small impressions every day?  They will compound into big life-changing impressions over time.  Be patient, the power of small will win out in the end.
Take small steps to change your habits. So often we start the new year with bold resolutions to get fit; lose weight; make money, and go at it hard with every best intention only to give up after a couple of weeks.
 I made a massive change in my diet by very gradual steps over a period of months. I felt no pain because the change from one week to the next was so small I could barely tell the difference.  I’ve started exercising and I started small.  I went on daily walks for months before I ever lifted a weight or went for a run.  When I started lifting and running I started very small.
The same laws apply in all areas of our lives. If we regularly service our car, it will avoid the cost of a major breakdown.
If we eat healthy and exercise regularly, we will stay confident and energetic. If we look after our skin with a simple, daily routine and sun care, we’ll be enjoying the beauty and anti-aging effects well beyond that of our peers.
Beauty doesn’t have to be costly or invasive. The small thing might be to drink more water every day. It could be to add a twice weekly exfoliation to your normal routine or treating yourself to a monthly facial.
The “Power of Gradual” works because, quite simply, little things add up to a big thing if you have enough little things.
Given enough time, the steady drip of water becomes an ocean.
Given enough time, small regular deposits in the bank become a small fortune.
Take a small step, and then take another, and then another.
 Just keep on walking.
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