Just the way little things are...

‘Little deeds of kindness, little words of love, helps to make Earth happy like the Heaven above.’

The statement above is one among the ideals I always follow in life. But what are the ‘little things’ in life? Doing the routine activities—having breakfast, lunch and dinner with one’s family at home. Brushing one’s teeth. Doing one’s daily exercise. Going to school and putting in a quiet day’s work.

So, what are the ‘big things’ in life? Taking a trip around the world. Having a birthday bash. Being chosen the school studentry president. Winning the trophies, medals and certificates in various competitions.

When one says, ‘It’s the little things that count,’ does it mean that the little things are all that matters, and that the big things have no real value?

Of course not, because there is no one on Earth who does not look forward to what he considers to be the big things in life—not even me. Therefore, what the saying probably implies is that, if one does not do the little things well, the big things don’t happen, or happen less often, or that one’s enjoyment of the big things, when they come, is diminished.

For instance, doing one’s daily exercise does not really make you a famous one. Doing it is a quiet, undramatic affair that involves a certain amount of effort that may mostly go unnoticed. You will not definitely win a prize for it but it keeps you healthy.

Without small, there’s no big. Greater things start from small ones. Like a mustard seed, one of the smallest seeds in the world. However, when it grows as a tree, it is so broad and so big. See, that’s how little things grow big.

A big percentage of life, let us say ninety-nine per cent of it is little things and one per cent is big things.

It is similar to climbing Mount Everest. It takes many, many weeks to climb, and when one reaches the peak, one remains there only for a short period of time. And then the descent begins. Though it is not as long as the ascent, one has to be careful and it does take time. No one really goes on top without starting at the bottom. Any small single step counts.

Once I have watched a short video clip from that touches my heart that it even made me cry. It was a Singapore video clip entitled “Gift” about a boy who never sees his father as inspiration not until he found out his father’s big secret. Too bad that his father died before he realized how lucky he was for having such a generous father.

The father in the story was a simple man living a typical life. He spend days with work and taking care of his son. Everyday he will give his son a pocket money for his schooling and then an additional amount which he will also take back from him.

“Time to pay your taxes,” the father would tell his son then asked him to drop the extra amount he gave into a bottle piggy bank.

“Being rich is not about how much you have but how much you give and somehow when you give you will be happier,” the father in the story told his son this line too.

When the son grew old and had his life managed on his own. He left his father who he considered less of a great and ambitious man. Until he was forced to go back home with the death of his father. Then he saw letters of thanks addressed to him from Community Chest, a charitable institution, for his continuous donations.

The amount he dropped into the piggy bank was donated by his father to charity that helps less fortunate children. Moreover, his father has been a big part of the institution for always giving hopes, smiles and joy to the children. At that moment, he found out how selfless and how great his father was.

From the story, I learned that it is not how big you have that matters. You can still share a part of what you have with other people no matter how small you have on your pocket.

There are people who live solely for the big things in life like the son who aspire so much, who are bored by the little things and pay scant attention to them. Most of the time, we are waiting for big things to come, but chances are that they will never come, because the little things that make the big things happen have not been put to proper use.

Ponder that all great works are basically a pile of smaller units of effort over a period of time. Just like the pyramids or the Taj Mahal which were not created overnight. They are the result of hard perseverance and efforts of a mass of hardworking human beings over a prolonged period of time. As such I believe with the proposition that it is the little things that count in life.