Little By Little

This is a very important video.  It speaks to the value of the small things we do every day that have big results over the course of our lives.  These days we live in a world of superlatives, where everything has to be "Awesome" and exceed everything else.  Our attention spans grow shorter and shorter, and we are desensitized by the mainstream media and social networks to anything but the next most outrageous occurrence.  Our Instagram posts have to show us in exotic locations having more fun than anyone else, bragging about our lives to make ourselves feel more special and important (usually by making everyone else feel worse or inadequate).  There is incredible pressure on us not just to succeed, but to outperform everyone else.  We are told again and again there is no prize for second place.

The reality is very different from this.
If we achieve our own goals and discover our own happiness there is no such thing as second place.
There is no such thing as losing.  In the end, the most important factor for success is not skill - it is PERSEVRENCE.

Please remember the incredible value of the little things in life.
Remember that life is lived in small moments, one second at a time.
It is these small moments that matter most and which should not be taken for granted or wasted.

Show your love to those you care about.  Let your actions define who you really are.

When I was 14, my teacher gave me the example of the Stonecutter.
Every day he struck the stone with his hammer.  Again and again, seemingly to no effect.
Then, after years, the stone finally split, revealing the breathtaking geode inside.
Which blow split the stone?  The last one?  The first one?  Impossible to know.
The result was an accumulation of all the strikes, not just one.  The days teach much the years never know.

Our life is very much like this.
We adore the champion without seeing the sacrifice and training it took to reach that stage.
We admire the actor without seeing the countless hours of struggle and disappointment it took to reach that moment.
We admire strong couples without seeing the little efforts that it takes every day to make a relationship that will stand the test of time.

Let time work for you rather than against you.