Changes And Choices

‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves’

We perform hundreds of activities every day. Most of them are in keeping with our beliefs and values, but a handful of things we do on a daily basis are not congruent with our higher selves. We might be in a hurry and inadvertently be rude to someone, exaggerate a fact in a conversation, or take advantage of a situation in the midst of a transaction. If these are isolated incidences, we simply move forward in our lives and renew our commitment to do better next time and be the person we want to be. However, if we allow these lapses to become our standard operating procedure, we change who we are.
 
It’s a fine line between an occasional indiscretion and becoming a rude person, a liar, or a cheater. No one starts out with the thought in mind to become a dishonest, unpleasant, or unreliable person. They simply allow their momentary lapses to become habits. 
 

I admire people who go out of their way to live the way they believe. I remember a fellow speaker and author telling me that he had lectured his young son about leaving wet towels on the carpet. The very next morning, my colleague realized that he had forgotten to hang up his own towel. Unfortunately, he was already 45 minutes into his daily commute to the office. He paused, thought about who he was and who he wanted his son to be, then turned the car around, drove home, and hung up his wet towel. This may seem a bit extreme but his integrity and example was important to him just as yours and mine should be to us.
 
I recall being out to dinner with a friend and, after a wonderful meal with great service, he remembered that he had forgotten to tip the waiter. He immediately turned around and went back to the restaurant to correct the situation. This kind of pro-active mindfulness allows us to be in control of who we are in our own minds and the image we portray to others.
 
In Napoleon Hill’s classic book Think and Grow Rich, he describes the principle of “going the extra mile.”  In today’s world, we would call this exceeding expectations. Obviously, there are some things in our daily routines that don’t warrant this degree of care and consideration, but when it comes to our integrity, our reliability, and our honor, it is certainly worth going the extra mile. 
 
As my late, great friend and mentor Coach John Wooden always reminded his players, “You will be known for a lifetime of excellent performance or one single lapse in judgement.” You and I have the privilege every day of defining, confirming, or redefining the person that we really are. If you don’t like the vision in the mirror, you can change it.
 
As you go through your day today, take care of the little things, and the big things will take care of themselves.

Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift.  He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow @Stovallauthor