In our last couple +1s, we flipped through my notes from session number 150-something with my Yoda/spiritual Godfather Phil Stutz. On page one we had: “Success doesn’t matter in this world, commitment does.” On the middle of page three we had: “Real enthusiasm is passing through the worst and realizing it’s the best.” Looking at the bottom of page three, we see: “How you react to dramatic things is good. How you react to SMALL things is GREAT! That’s where the power is.” As I reread my messy writing, I actually remember asking Phil to hold on a second so I could write that down. (Hah. Seriously.) I repeat: “How you react to dramatic things is good. How you react to SMALL things is GREAT! That’s where the power is.” As we’ve discussed, Phil (and all great teachers, really) is ALL ABOUT the SMALL THINGS. He calls our moment-to-moment experiences (with ourselves and others) “micro transactions.” Although we tend to ignore them and think only the “big” stuff is “really” important, he flips that around and says it’s the TINY things that matter the MOST. (Of course, by practicing with the small things, we’re well-trained to handle the “big” things when they inevitably arrive.) So… One more time: “How you react to dramatic things is good. How you react to SMALL things is GREAT! That’s where the power is.” David Allen comes to mind. As we’ve discussed, in our interview years ago, he said that “the sublime comes through the mundane.” That’s Today’s +1. Let’s bring our best. To the small things. TODAY. P.S. Fun family fact: Midway through writing this +1, I heard a ferocious banging on my office door. Like jumbo crazy loud. (Laughing.) My initial reaction was WTNotFantastic! (Laughing.) Then I ran my “If… Then…” algorithm and got ready to welcome my little man. And… What did I see? Emerson in his brand-new BRIGHT GREEN (hah) helmet standing next to his sister in her helmet. “Daddy!!! Look at my new bike!!!” Yep. His new bike we got last night was downstairs. He cruised down, hopped on it and rode around the house. To think I almost ruined that TINY moment by getting upset IN THE MIDDLE of writing this +1… (Laughing yet again.) Here’s to moving from Theory to Practice. With the little things. And little ones. TODAY.
