"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." ~Mother Teresa
A baseball pitcher named Roy Halladay became only the second person to ever throw a no-hitter in post season play last night (October 5, 2010). It was quite an accomplishment when you look at the history of baseball. More amazing is that on May 29 of this same year, Halladay pitched the 20th perfect game in Major League Baseball history. As they say, "27 up, 27 down" to complete the game.
So what can pitching a no-hitter in baseball have to do with living a great life. Most certainly having that level of talent brings adulation and money, lots of money that helps make life comfortable. But it is the person behind the talent, their character, that makes a great life. Roy Halladay did something beyond just receiving acclaim for his accomplishments.
After pitching the perfect game in May, he arranged to commemorate that perfect game. Halladay presented roughly 60 Swiss-made Baume and Mercier watches he had purchased to everyone in the clubhouse. Each were presented in boxes bearing the inscription: "We did it together. Thanks, Roy Halladay." To top it off, on the back of each watch was engraved the date of the game, the line score, and the individual recipient's name.
Those sixty people were not just his fellow ball-players. They were the coaches, the trainers, and down to what may seem to be the most insignificant people to some. But not to Roy, he understood and acknowledged that even the smallest have a large impact on our success in life.
Your own life is involved on both ends of this spectrum. While you toil away at something, you may feel insignificant in what you do. Just know that even the smallest flower along the roadside serves a grand purpose. The nectar a bee consumes, which creates food for the hive yet sustains the bee to carry on the pollination of other plants. The smallest flower is involved in the circle that will carry life forward.
And if we have greatness in our life, we need to remember and acknowledge all the other people that helped us accomplish it. For without many others your life can not be sustained for very long. Without the smallest flowers, the bee has less to draw upon. In time, the bee can no longer sustain its grand work. Even the largest depend upon the small; life is pretty grand in that respect.
So know that your life is never too big to have done so on your own. Nor is your life too small not to have an impact on the life of another person. Not all of us can pitch a no-hitter, but each of us can make a difference in the life of another. And when we impact the lives of other people, its as good as having a "27 up and 27 down" great life.
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