Ripples and Snowballs

"I know it should not bother me. It's just a little thing." Have you heard this (and said this) many, many times. How do you know the difference between a little thing and a big thing?

Not only does life have a zany tendency to turn little things into big ones, some of them grow like ripples, losing power as they gain magnitude, and others grow like snowballs, increasing in both size and force. Sometimes we drop a pebble into the pond, and sometimes we drop it off a skyscraper.

What if size really doesn't matter? Even the smallest step towards an outcome could drive success; even the smallest good deed could really do good. Everything would be a potential leverage point.

Everything is. We cannot always foresee the consequences of words we say in passing, of daily tasks done well or not, of turning our eyes to catch the sun on the last golden leaves. We live with the knowledge that small mistakes can have big price tags. It is more useful to know that small intentional acts can make a big difference.

What is the smallest step you can imagine taking in the direction of something you really want?

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