Thu, June 11, 2009 - 2:22:58

Our Smallest Acts Have Lasting Effects

Like so many people around the world, we’ve become thoroughly enamored with the Twitter trend.  We think of it as a water cooler for the web:  the place where we gather to engage in a little virtual small talk about everything from current events to philosophical musings.  One of our favorite things to do when we’re logged on to @ThePowerofSmall is to ask our followers to share their own bits of SMALL wisdom and we’re often amazed by the great tidbits our “tweeps” come up with.

A few days ago, during another rainy day, we decided to break through the gloomy weather by asking the community-at-large this simple question: “If you could name one small gesture someone else has made that had a big impact on your life, what would it be?”  We were so touched by the heartfelt responses we received that we just had to share them. 

Here are just a few of the things our Twitter friends had to say:

@agiacob: For the first ad I wrote for a pair of swimming goggles, my dad arrived at my home with a pair and said, “I am so proud!”
@OZENASIA:  My dad shook my hand and told me he was proud of me, when I felt my world was falling apart. A simple handshake.
@c_simon:  A summer camp student brought me a cookie from home to cheer me up when she found out my best friend moved away!
@LattSoko:  On flight overseas on 9/10/01. Little oxygen on flight and I got sick. Woman sitting next to me watched over me…Don’t recall her name but I remember how she made me feel: safe, calm, and cared for.

Our lives are made up of thousands of tiny moments in time, each one, an opportunity to do something small but wonderful.  So, whether you’re a stranger offering a compliment on someone’s shoes or concerned citizen donating a dollar to a local cause, never forget that you have the power within you to make someone else’s day a little better. 

Scott Adams once said, “Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end,” and the stories our friends have shared with us truly demonstrate that it’s the little things we do that really count.  Although you will probably forget about your small acts not long after you perform them, chances are there is someone out there who still remembers your kindness. 

Posted by Linda and Robin