A Sad Encounter And A Reality In Today's World - Understanding That Leadership Begins In The Small Things

I was at the Mall today and something happened that made me extremely sad.

I went about picking up some items for my spouse, a normal trip to the mall for me.

As I was in the process of leaving, I saw a young girl and her father coming into the building, and I sped up just a tiny bit so that I could hold the door open for them.

I came through and stood with the door open for them, waiting for "maybe" 2 seconds for them to make their way.

The father looked up from his daughter to see me and said, "Oh! Thank you!" in the most legitimately Surprised tone I have heard from a person in some time.

I was puzzled by his Surprise.

Could it be that no one has held the door open for this man and his child for so long, possibly ever, for him to react like that?

Then it hit me.

It is quite possible that the Suprise was True and THAT Legitimate.

We live in a world filled with "Consumers".

So often people are completely Focused only on themselves.

They watch their phone screens without looking at the faces around them.

They walk through doors without seeing if others are around.

People who "devour" and "consume" only with themselves in mind.

They are so Focused on the next thing - the next video, the next door, the next thing to buy, the next, the next, the next.

They have NO Idea what is around them now, today, here.

When people experience a "tiny" kindness, that takes NO effort, it Truly is a Legitimate Surprise.

How did we get to this point?

What are we Teaching people?

How can we expect to Create Leaders when we can't even "see" the Human Beings around us?

How can we expect to Create a Better World when we can't even make an Individual's Life around us even just a "little" bit better?

The Reality is that we can't!

If we don't do the little things, we can't expect the World at large to Change.

There is ABSOLUTELY NO Reason that someone should be so Legitimately Surprised to see an incredibly minute Act of Kindness.

Something we need to recognize is that if we do NOT do the small things, it is Extremely Doubtful that we will do anything else either.

I hear a lot of talk from people about making the World a "better place".

But it Isn't about what you say.

Talk is cheap, and in today's world is worthless.

Be More than You Say.

There is a Lost Art to Being in our World.

So many people make large claims about what is wrong with everything around the world, and how they would Improve it, but do NOTHING with what is already around them.

If you Fail to Improve the world immediately around you, you will Never truly accomplish Changing the World.

When was the last time you Paid Attention and tried to help those around you with the Problems they faced?

When was the last time you looked at someone in their Eyes and Understood what they were Feeling?

When was the last time you gave money to a Cause?

When was the last time you asked someone about how they were doing, and made sure you got a Real Answer from them?

When was the last time you held the door open for a Parent and their Child in public?

What you do in the small aspects of Life will determine the Larger World around you.

The Best Leaders are made in the Small Things first.

It should NEVER be a Surprise to anyone to receive a small amount of Kindness.