Life Is About The Little Things

Take light things seriously! Small things, small tasks are as important as the great things of life. Take serious things lightly! Do not raise a storm in a teacup over trifling issues

Have you heard the beautiful song which begins:

Little drops of water, little grains of sand Make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land!

It is the little things of life that count! But alas, in our mad rush for bigger and greater things, we ignore those little things that make life truly meaningful. Look at the huge banyan tree which spreads its leafy green branches so wide that dozens of people can rest comfortably under its shade. Do you realise that it has come out of a tiny seed? Let us take care of the little things of life and it is out of these little habits that our life is shaped.

There is an amusing story told us about a king who built a magnificent temple of Lord Shiva. On the day of the consecration, he had arranged for a grand ritual of worship. So he ordered every citizen in the kingdom to bring one jug of milk and pour it into the temple s tank. This was to be done on the previous night so that the worship could start early in the morning.

Now, the citizens of the kingdom said to themselves, Everyone is bringing one jug of milk. Who would know the difference if I took a jug of water instead? A little water would hardly make a difference in a tank full of milk!

And so, under cover of darkness, everyone brought a jug of water and poured it into the tank, confident that no one would notice anything amiss. The next morning, it was discovered that the tank was filled with water. Not a single person had thought it his duty to offer a little milk for the Lord s special pooja!

Everyone matters! Every little bit counts! I am sure you have all heard of the conundrum given below:

Something important had to be done urgently. Everybody thought somebody else will do it. So nobody did it. Anybody could have done it but it was not done because nobody thought of doing it themselves!

Little things matter and very often, so do little people! Do you know the height of Napoleon Bonaparte? He was barely 5 1 ! As for Julius Caesar, he was just one inch taller, at 5 2 . Arrogant Britishers described Mahatma Gandhi as that short, toothless person , the half-naked fakir . This short, toothless, half-naked fakir shook the mighty British empire to its very roots!

Take light things seriously! Small things, small tasks are as important as the great things of life. A perfectionist is one who pays as much attention to small details as to great tasks. Such a person peels an orange with as much care as he implements an important project. This is also the teaching of karma yoga, which does not distinguish between low and high work in the execution of one s duty.

Take serious things lightly! Do not raise a storm in a teacup over trifling issues. It is only our inflated egos that lead us on to take offence over every trifling issue.

We often dismiss the little people and events of our lives. We take our friends and family members for granted. By doing so, we simply overlook their special gifts and insights. It has been said that every person who walks the earth is a God in disguise. We celebrate a few great souls and extol them as leaders but what we must do is lift our vision and find the highest in those around us.

People seek fame and fortune in the world outside as they believe that if they become rich and famous, they will also be happy and contended. They have got themselves slightly mixed up: if they do what makes them truly happy, appreciation and contentment will naturally follow.

After his life-changing experience in Walden, the American thinker and philosopher Thoreau went to visit his friend and fellow-intellectual, Emerson. He told Emerson all about his experience, living in the woods.

What would you say is the most important lesson you learnt at Walden? Emerson enquired of him. Thoreau answered emphatically, Simplify, simplify, simplify!

Emerson smiled and responded, I think one simplify would have done quite well!

In a beautiful book called Wisdom of the Heart, bestselling author, Alan Cohen tells us: The lighter we get, the higher we soar we gain freedom in releasing possessions and begin to appreciate the simple things of life we recognise that simplicity is the flower that brings the intellect to its knees and recognises the greatest riches of all.