Small Things...

"We cannot do all great things, but we can do small things with great love."
~Mother Theresa~

Still, I think people underestimate the importance of the small things in life. There may be a few major things that have affected me, but more often it is the accumulation of small experiences that build into something more. I have hundreds of memories of small things that people did which have had an incredible impact on me and my thinking.
There have also been a few times in my past when I have been walking around, feeling kind of down for whatever reason, and someone I am walking by smiles at me. It is amazing how such a simple act can raise my spirits. I doubt they would remember smiling at a stranger, but I certainly remember their kindness. In fact, these small acts have had a lasting impact on who I am.
I have also noticed that small things have a way of coming back to you. Since they can have such a large impact on others, they can reverberate through social networks like a wave. Making people feel better makes them more likely to make others feel better, and that makes others more likely to make others feel better... which means that you will inevitably be hit by successive waves of small things that make you feel good if you do good things. Of course, anger and hatred work the same way. Being mean to someone can reverberate through the community just as easily, and come back to bite you. At least, that has been my experience, and the findings of my countless observations of those around me.
I'm no longer take it for granted that what I do does not matter, and I have tried to become constantly conscious of how my actions can impact others. Let us make a difference. By nurturing our own 'world', we too, can make a difference. Maybe you consciously pick up the phone and brighten someone's day or maybe you have lunch with a friend. Maybe you let someone go ahead of you in traffic or hug someone a few seconds longer. Or maybe you do something small with great love... for yourself.

Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person."
~Mother Theresa~