Tag: small

That thing we feared

Posted on by philipdodson

Those things that we fear, the ones that we fear the most, when we start them and do them it’s amazing afterwards how we realise just how stupid it was to have feared them.

The things that we fear the most are the ones we put off the most. However, they’re the ones we really want to do the most but I’m just too fearful to start. It is the starting that’s the challenge not the doing, the doing is the easy bit and afterwards we realise why on earth did I have a fear of this thing.

So how do we get to start? We get to start by doing the small things, the small steps not the big things, the small steps and if it’s a big thing, we’ve got to do break it down to small things small tiny steps.

Small tiny steps that we won’t fear, that the brain or the mind won’t pick up on and sabotage.

That’s the trick, daily habits, small steps, tiny little things and then the compound effect comes.

Initially, we don’t see much of a change but gradually over time the momentum grows and the change becomes enormous and then we’ve gone from doing a series of tiny small insignificant steps to a giant leap that we could’ve never done before because the giant leap was too fearful.

Small steps is the answer, just 123 go, a small step never a giant leap, we never fear a small step.

What can I do to make a difference?

Posted on by philipdodson

We all think that we are too small to make a difference and there is a brilliant quote by the Dalia Lama that sums it up nicely “if you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending a night in a room with a mosquito”.

There are countless examples of where one person has done a small step, every single day and created an amazing change, one that springs to mind of Jadav Payeng who on a sandbank planted some seedlings and over the course of a lifetime created an entire forest that bristles with life. He created Molai Forest which is now home to tigers, elephants and a whole diversity of animals and nature that had disappeared in the area.

And while we are on trees how about the bravery of the Kenyan Wangari Maathai who through her dedication, in a time when it was unheard of for women in a country like Kenya to stand up and make a difference, she created the Green Belt Movement and with the involvement of the UN they were responsible for 51 million trees being planted.

Look at the unbelievable bravery of Malala Yousafzai, who stood up to the Taliban and campaigned for women’s education and ended up being shot in the face. The Malala fund helps to improve access to education for women worldwide.

These are just three examples and none of them was born any different to you and me, they just choose to make their difference and against incredible odds, they showed up for us.

We can all choose to be the example to inspire others and that means taking the first step, as Brene Brown says we have to brave the wilderness. If we want different leaders it is no good waiting for them, we can become the leader we want to see, and we can become the change that we want to see. 

What can I do? Make my difference by showing up. We all have to get off the bus and stand up for what we want to see not stay on there and wait for someone else to do it first.