It's All About The Little Things

Have you ever heard the saying "don't sweat the small stuff, and really it's all small stuff"? While I'm not too sure about that one, what has struck me today is how 'every little bit counts'. At the moment in my life among other crazy pursuits I am trying to learn to be a runner. Actually I think I am more than trying, I'd like to think I'm on my way to succeeding so maybe I am on my way to becoming a runner (although I still don't like it and I am still under the impression that you should only be running if someone is chasing you!!) Anyway, every time I decide that I will go out for a run I have a battle of wills with my not so nice inner self and have to almost force myself out the door kicking and screaming (think Me, Myself and Irene!!). So today was no different, I ummed and ahhhed for a while, trying to see if I could find a friend to join me, trying to decided if I really had to do it since it was Sunday, I've had a busy weekend blah blah on and on my ego went until I just got changed into 'running clothes' and took off, slowly, out the front door on my own. I recently decided to try not to follow the same route all the time but rather try and 'challenge' myself (like just learning to run isn't challenge enough!) by going in an unfamiliar way and taking on some hills and bends just to make it interesting or whatever. Since the last time I had been doing running was only a few days ago at my crazy boot camp style exercise group and that was up hill, down dale and plenty of places in between, my poor legs felt like concrete as I set off at a slow but steady pace talking myself through what was to come - "ok once you get up here, and round the corner, and over the hill, and back to the road, you can walk for a little bit. Little bites, lean forward and take a bit at a time (the voice of my trainer and friend in my head coaching me through) I have to say it was cold, I was tired and it was all a bit tiresome AND THEN I passed an older man with a lovely dog, and I always try to smile or at least grimace at people as I am trying to run along so I give him a welcoming look and as if he knew how much I was struggling he said "you'll get there" which was possibly just politeness on his behalf but for me those few words were like a light shining down from up above, with angels singing and horns blowing....I could do this! I could make it and keep going thanks to this lovely man's few words of encouragement.
As always, I like to ponder things that happen in my life, to derive meaning and wisdom from anything that strikes me and this little experience this afternoon has reminded me that it is the smallest things that can make all the difference to yourself or someone elses experience, day, or even life. This can certainly work both ways - both positive and negative, but if what we focus our attention and our intention on grows then I would like to grow more warm, fuzzy experiences both for myself and others around me by sharing a kind word to a stranger or a friend and by stopping to take a moment to think about my words if they are negative or judgemental. How nice would it be to live in a world that people were friendly and encouraging and judgements and harsh words faded away? Perhaps we could all be responsible for creating that world, like learning to run, just a little bite at a time...........