The Power of Small

Routinely, I rise out of bed before the birds, and watch the sunlightflood my office every morning. See, I love this time of day! But whatI don't love is being rudely rousted out of a deep sleep before mynormal rise and shine time, and every day for the past few months Ihave been.

I sleep with the windows open, and at around 4:00 each and everymorning, rain or shine, there has been this very obnoxious bird"somewhere" close by screeching his mating call at what seemslike 130 decibels! Many times I've wearily peered out to be able towitness first hand what sounded like a pterodactyl-size creature onsome kind of steroids. But never would this clever 'lil creature revealhimself!

I appreciate nature as much as the next person, but this largesound at this wee hour of the morning is not music to my ears! Inone agitated state my fine-feathered foe put me in, I thought aboutlocating a 'sportsman' in the neighborhood to take him out, but thatwas only wishful fantasizing. Besides, I don't believe in 'the sport ofhunting.'

By now though, I've gotten pretty used to my tree dwelling alarmand looking on the positive side of this situation, could even thankhim for the extra hour of work I am able to put in every day.

One day last week, I was pounding away on my laptop on the frontporch swing, when lo and behold - THAT PIERCING SOUNDAGAIN! And it was NEAR! Imagine my surprise when after peekingout from under the canopy, perched on the telephone line abovewas this teeny weenie finch, smaller than my prized canary,warbling away what was really a beautiful anthem, at least heard atthis normal hour of the day.

Oh my, the power of small!

Now, may I ask: How many times in your life have you thought thatyou were "too small" to make a difference? How many times hasthis thought actually stopped you from doing something you knewin your heart was worthwhile? Perhaps something like changingcareers, starting a new Business, creating your own product or evenbuying that dream Home. Like me, I bet plenty of times!

Think about this. Every great achievement in this world had its rootsas a single thought in the mind of a single human being. There's noexception - the greatest inventions, the biggest corporations andthe tallest skyscrapers were all borne of the single idea of oneindividual!

The difference between most of us and the Henry Ford's and BillGates of this world is the total self-belief and conviction in theirideas to just "build it!" No matter the size, no matter the scope, nomatter the naysayers around them. And, knowing full well that theroad to achieving their goal was going to be paved with majorsetbacks and failures.

Here's one of my favorite quotes about achievers:

"There are some people who live in a dream world, and there aresome who face reality; and then there are those who turn one intothe other."Douglas Everett

You've heard many of the stories about the above 'icons' and peoplelike Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison and Gandhi. Their journeyswere filled with great adversity, devastating setbacks and yes,heartbreaking failures. But still, because of the sheer level of beliefin themselves and what they set out to achieve, they were able toleave a legacy that today affects every one of us, every hour ofevery day.

There are millions everyday people who will never becomehousehold names who have made magnificent differences in theirlives and the lives of those around them.

Take for instance, the single mother who was reluctantly forcedonto the welfare rolls due to a deadbeat dad, and pounds thepavement until she lands a job, determined to excel, and works herway up the ladder until she ends up with a wonderful career to thebenefit of herself and her family.

Or, the foreign medical student whose family sacrificed their entirelives in order to send their child to a 'free country' to get aneducation, who, through sheer determination graduates at the top ofhis class but decides not to