Two days ago, I posted:
And I wrote:
Leadership is about taking the action that is needed in the moment, seeing what needs doing and making it happen. Such actions might be small – like listening to a friend who is suffering. Sometimes they are bigger – like taking responsibility to organize the community fundraiser.
Today I want a do-over, or at least a chance to clarify the words “small” and “bigger” from a new perspective. Who can say that “listening to a friend who is suffering” is small … or is smaller than the fundraiser responsibility? Not me.
First, we cannot ever fully know the impact of our actions. The love and compassion received by our friend may travel far and wide through their actions, down through the generations in their family, through friends and colleagues and strangers who witness and receive of our friend’s expanded compassion. It may travel through our own expansion from having been part of a compassionate human exchange.
Second, what can possibly make compassion small? Humanity is starving for compassion, tenderness, love — for real. Giving and receiving the depth of emotion which is an integral part of the human condition is priceless. So, a single act of compassion … is both great and BIG.
What big, strong, loving, great act is yours to do today?