Persistent Small Steps
BY: T. Franklin Murphy | April 1, 2018 (modified January 9, 2023)
BY: T. Franklin Murphy | April 1, 2018 (modified January 9, 2023)
Flourishing Life Society Photos
We are in the process of becoming through a series of choices. Greatness is achieved from patiently making right choices.
Greatness—what is it? With the constant access to media, we are bombarded with stories of greatness, exposed to wonderful acts of compassion. Mark Zuckerberg donated Facebook stock valued over 2.5 billion dollars to local schools. Mother Theresa gave her life serving the poorest of the poor. We read in social media, watch on the news, and hear over the radio the heart-warming stories of greatness. Some stories may generate new waves of kindness. I realistically will never have a billion dollars to give to a worthy cause. My sparse bank accounts will not permit such generosity; but kindness, at any amount, is applauded. We don’t need to give our entire lives to serving in a destitute village or donate a fortune. We give what we can from the depths of our heart. A kind person does kind acts. They don’t necessary perform extraordinary acts. The rose doesn’t bloom in radiant beauty after a single day of sunshine; the bloom requires a succession of growth-supporting days. The growth and ultimate beauty of the rose is expressed after nourishment that encourages the biological design. A kind character isn’t a single act but the culmination of continued acts. We smile; we help; we love. "Success is the sum of small efforts - repeated day in and day out." ~Robert Collier We Grow from Small Consistent Acts We don’t express greatness through a single defining deed. Greatness is expressed through a succession of small acts. We transform, like the flower, from a succession of imperfect days that give sufficient nutrients to support growth. Our thoughts, friends, efforts, and studies all contribute to personal transformation. We don’t need perfection but must engage in sufficient positives to sustain growth. We Wither from Small Toxic Behaviors When our lives indulge in personal gratifications, momentary amusements, and selfish pursuits, we strangle necessary ingredients for growth from our environment. Starved for nutrients, our character decays, losing contact with reality and limiting contact with the truth. Honestly ask yourself, “Am I creating an environment of growth or decay?” When we can clearly answer, we can know if we are on the path to greatness, mediocrity or destruction. I choose greatness. Other Flourishing Life Society articles of interest on this topic: |
|