Micro-actions lead to monumental growth.

Or, a tale of the Everglades.

Not long ago, my brother-in-law visited from Toronto. This was his first time in South Florida, and we had just moved down from the colder regions up North a month prior.

One of the first things we did was schedule a visit to the Everglades. But it wasn't just any visit. We wanted to ride airboats. So, we found a fishing camp just west of Miami with high ratings.

We were assigned a guide who was a true Florida native. His family had lived here for several generations, and he served in the Navy as well as captained much larger ships. He made it known that he just did this on the side but felt it was important.

The first thing he said was that because of the cool weather, he couldn't promise we would spot any alligators. He promised that they were everywhere and that they usually liked to warm themselves up in the sun. But with it being so cold, they were unlikely to make an appearance.

As we glided through the Everglades, our guide made it known that the Everglades is one of the largest freshwater systems in the world, and that you could basically take an airboat from Miami to Naples and not see a single other person the entire time.

He pointed out the historical nature of the area. The Seminole Wars were fought here, allowing the tribes refuge from U.S. forces.

The Everglades became their living quarters, their grocery store, their hospital, their source of fresh water, their source of meat, and perhaps most importantly, their education system. Yes, we can all draw lessons from our surroundings.

As we continued through the river (the Everglades are not a swamp), we spotted a ten-foot female alligator with seven of her recent hatchlings clinging nearby.

Our guide pointed out that you can tell when alligators nest in certain areas by the vegetation that crops up nearby. The eggs cannot be submerged in water and need sun to determine the sex of the alligator. In certain areas, there are more males than females. And that is due to temperature alone. In this part of the Everglades, there is a female to male ratio, so I guess the male alligators are having a great time.

When female alligators are ready to lay eggs, they go to the bottom of the river and begin to kick up mud, creating a mound.

He explained that there are several alligators every few miles, and that you can tell by the mounds that crop up along the landscape. The mounds created recently have sawgrass and pussy willow that grows all along the mound.

The mounds that were created a long time ago began to attract trees. The trees help stabilize the mud that had been kicked up, and eventually, a tiny teardrop-shaped island begins to form. The shape comes from the constant flow from the river.

Our guide took us further into the upper glades and pointed out some of the private islands located there. The neat thing about those islands is that they are teardrop-shaped (though much larger) and that they are archaeological wonders, containing evidence of advanced pottery tools and hunting equipment used by the natives for thousands of years.

The islands were huge!

Today, they provide land used by hunting and fishing camps as well as some private residences.

Other than the immense ecological and historic value of the Everglades, what struck me with awe is that these islands started off as an alligator mound to lay some eggs.

You see, even the smallest of actions can have a monumental impact on the world.

When you ask young people what they want to do when they get older, they often aspire to change the world, whatever that means to them. But they get lost along the way because it seems too large to grapple with.

So they sit around in wallow in self-pity, or they wait for somebody else to fix the problems of the world. Even John Mayer once sang about waiting for the world to change.

But you don't have to wait.

Change begins with you. It starts with the smallest of actions:

· Choosing to wake before the sun rises.

· Making your bed.

· Reading a book or an article on your craft.

· Showing up each day with a heart full of gratitude.

· Moving your body each morning.

· Saying "I love you."

I can't overemphasize how important these small—and free—actions are if you do them every day. Even the smallest of actions can have monumental impact on our growth.

You know this to be true. So act on it.

If you'd like to join me in the pursuit of getting 1% better each day, send me a DM and let's have a conversation.

And just like those smallest of actions, it doesn't cost you a thing.