Theory of the Big — Little Things : Filling in the Gaps
Photo Credit: Shiva Smyth , Pexels
Navigating life towards the path that matters in the long run.
When we were younger, from time to time my dad rallied my siblings and I , and made us plan for the future. It went thus:
- get a sheet of paper and a pen.
- - Write down where you want to be in 5 years, 10 years.
- - Use that to navigate your life henceforth.
It was an interesting exercise that made us think about where we wanted to be at different points in our lives and what kind of experiences we wanted.
The thoughtfulness Mist.
Whenever I did the exercises, I never put into perspective some important things. For an instance , how I was going to react to the harshness of the world in 5 years time or what I’ll do if someone deliberately tried to hurt me for their own benefit or how I’d handle cases of depression and feeling less than enough .
It’s now that I realized that those exercises were the bigger picture of what I wanted my life to look like, but I had to do my own daily exercises of building myself to become what I want to see.
Yes, I want to live in a sweet quiet countryside, but I also want to be a woman that when people come in contact with, they leave me feeling like they have been SEEN.
Yes, I would find love and get married, but I also want to be the epitome of love, kindness and compassion to my partner, family , friends etc.
Yes, I’m building that brand I know is my life’s work, but I also have the gift of encouragement and support to people I come across.
Yes, I’m going to travel to all those places I’ve always dreamed of , but I also need to keep building my emotional intelligence so that the people around me won’t feel any less than they actually are.
Yes, I’m going to inspire all those people, but I’m also going to build a relationship with my maker that’ll in turn help me live and leave a legacy that’ll stretch for years to come.
The Inspiration.
Recently, my father told me about his supposedly “last” retreat to plan the next 30 years of his life , and it prompted me to do same. While on that retreat, he sent me a very thoughtful note, that first helped me to. see myself from a particular scope of his lens.
You see, with my dad, I’ve been very privileged to experience the two way relationship of expressionism between him and I .
From when I gisted him about my primary school sports shenanigans to when I talked to him about my art.
His unwavering support has been phenomenal. Yes, he has his flaws, I there was a time , some years ago that I packed my bags to leave because of something that happened.
But through and through he has lived out the exercises he pretty much wrote down for himself according to thé conversations we’ve had. The fact is that he has outdone himself. Lol.
The key however I must add is that GOD is his center.
Conclusion.
In many ways I’m like my father. Big on purpose , big on building a quiet but meaningful life, tackling the big things while focusing on the small ones as well.
I feel like he unknowingly taught me to fill in the gaps with the little things that support the big things by those quiet conversations he had with his little daughter all those nights ago when he was tired from work but created time to listen to her and help her with her homework.
That even when she became an adult his constant calls to reassure, pray and affirm and praise her , taught her that in-between the big things , were the little things that mattered just as much.
So in hindsight — life is made up of “big” and “little” things that balance out each-other to helps us create the most ideal life for ourselves.
What legacy are you living and leaving behind ? You can have the fattest bank account amongst your friends, but what do your children have to say ? You have that ideal post in church , but even you can’t trust the words that come out of your mouth.
I believe that we as humans have a barrage of things we want to achieve , how we want to be etc etc. But often get lost along the way , I’ve found out that every-time I get lost, God always comes to show me the cross. The reason I can never be lost forever.
So the big-little things , the balance , the peace and the life ? Yeah . That’s right . God’s presence facilitates all that.
He’s the source of it all. Every other thing is a resource provided by him.
So which way comrade ?
Till next time,
Love 💕,
E.
