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Friday, May 27, 2011

On the power of small

When I was a kid, I remember absorbing a an endless wave of advice from adults. Mostly from my parents, of course, but also from teachers, family, community members, friends, the guy who camped out at the entrance to the Metro station with a harmonica...you name it and they were only too happy to guide me.

"Don't sweat the small stuff" was a common snippet, and it was also the one that never quite sat right with me. If anything, the small stuff was the stuff I could wrap my little hands around. It was the stuff I could see from end to end. It was the stuff I could control.

I eventually learned to disobey my elders. Now that I'm all grown up, I'm going to look for the guy at the Metro station and let him know that the small stuff is really where it's at. I may yet share this quote with him:
"Faith in small things has repercussions that ripple all the way out. In a huge dark room a little match can light up the place."
Joni Eareckson Tada
Your turn: Do you sweat the small stuff? How?

One more thing: I sometimes include links to the authors of the quotes I share here. This one is particularly inspirational, and I hope you follow it home.
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5 comments:

  1. Kalei's Best Friend7:54 PM, May 27, 2011

    I definitely sweat the small stuff, mainly because the small stuff is personal stuff.. Problems w/the house, car, insurance always seems fixable.. Its the personal stuff that sometimes can't be fixed- believe it or not.. I guess because you are dealing w/human emotion,there is a lot of gray there and not so black and white when it comes to mechanical problems. The older I get, I have let go, mainly because it takes so much energy to sweat the small stuff and the logic seems silly when it comes to sweating it.

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  2. photowannabe8:11 PM, May 27, 2011

    Thanks for stopping by my blog Carmi. I have gotten so involved in the small stuff that I haven't commented for quite a while.
    Its the small stuff that makes the warp and woof of life. I don't want to be sweating it all the time but as Kalei's Best Friend says its the gray parts that I'm constantly dealing with.
    Love your thought provoking posts.
    Have a wonderful weekend.

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  3. Karen (formerly kcinnova)9:53 PM, May 27, 2011

    If anyone has earned the right to give advice and be heard, it's Joni.

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  4. rashbre1:56 AM, May 28, 2011

    Yes - like your saying there's the one "better to light a candle than damn the darkness". Fiat lux and all that.

    And as for the small stuff, Yep, we all have it to keep us grounded, although some times its also good to take a step back.

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  5. Unknown2:09 AM, May 29, 2011

    Carmi: The small stuff quote always sounded trite to me. How incredible to see Joni's name! Haven't seen it in years, but always found her incredibly inspiring. After reading this, I agree with you. Small stuff certainly matters!

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