Insurmountable obstacles can seem to be an everyday part of life and if we focus on the difficulty of today's issues, it is likely that we will fail before ever making an attempt to solve them. We could easily turn a blind eye to the evident needs of others, convincing ourselves that the vast proportion of troubles facing the human race are beyond any puny acts or solutions that we can muster.
But...we could make this feat quite a bit simpler. Why not begin by addressing the obvious problems and challenges which are right in front of us? By conveying common courtesies, we may be making a bigger impact in the lives of others than we will ever realize. Daily, I try to make a conscious effort to get out of my head, stop thinking about my schedule and issues, and focus my attention onto others.
What if each day we set our minds to pay it forward? I encourage you to hold the door open for someone, brake for the car trying to merge into traffic, or simply smile at a stranger that makes eye contact. Take a moment and meditate on an act,that if bestowed on you, would touch your soul and shift the outlook of your day. Now, do it for someone else. In this way, we could change the world one person at a time.
Recently, patrons at Starbucks made the headlines when a random stranger decided to pay for the coffee of the person behind him. This set off a chain of events in which some 300 others followed suit. These people changed the day of others with one simple act. Saint Frances of Assisi states it well in his prayer. He says that we should "love rather than be loved and understand rather than be understood." Inevitably, by doing so, these blessings are ultimately returned to us triple fold.
So.....How do you eat an elephant??? ~One bite at a time~
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