One Little Starfish At A Time

I really have to be careful when I commit in writing to an attitude change, as the challenges that follow really do test you in that specific area. I equate this to committing yourself to a race. What would be the point of entering a race if you never actually put on your running shoes and built up a sweat? How would you know that you could make the distance if you don’t get to try the challenges of the route? My positivity commitment put me onto a rather challenging course this week, but I believe I can take a pat on the back as I think I fared fairly well and although I know the race is far from over, I made it over some pretty tough climbs.

This week I am committing to easier commitments… I suppose that would be one way to simplify the challenges, but really, what do we then achieve? A life of mediocrity and settling for the status quo? No thank you. We were designed for so much more. Our lives are not mere random cells coming together to form a body, we were designed and planned for this world for a purpose far greater than just surviving. We need to recognise and embrace this, so with each day we can look back and see it wasn’t a wasted day but see something where we made a difference (a positive difference). It may be a seemingly insignificant thing but it was something YOU did. If you chose not to make the effort and let that moment slip away without your contribution, it may never be realised. The title of the blog series, “Seize The Moment”, is apt for this topic. Don’t let a single moment of being able to make a positive difference slip away. I think we are too afraid to put ourselves “out there”.  It is so comfortable in our know little area of operating. Stepping outside the bubble seems risky and perhaps we perceive the risk outweighs the reward, so we stay where we are and a precious moment is lost. There is also no personal growth in that area, so the next time a similar opportunity arises it will be easy to stay inside the bubble again. Seize the moment and reach outside of the bubble. Each time you do it, the bubble actually grows allowing you a much greater area of influence and of course more opportunities to reach out again. It’s like a chain reaction, once started, it becomes easier and easier to put yourself out-there. Sure there will be times when your action doesn’t achieve the result expected or the reaction isn’t quite as positive as you desired. This may make you think twice before reaching out again. That is fine, as long as it doesn’t stop you completely from reaching out.

• Keep smiling at people.
• Always offer to help, no-one is too important to not be able to help someone else in need.
• Compliment somebody today.
• Thank people for their contribution.
• Listen to what somebody else is saying.

Such simple daily events that can make a huge positive impact. Keep doing those and then look for the greater opportunities to make a difference. I can guarantee you they are always around you but we have become so accustomed to tuning them out of our window of view, that we don’t see them anymore. Remove the filters and identify where you can make a difference, one small starfish at a time…  (StarfishStory Link)