I ran across these two door knobs last week. The one on my left caught my eye and my first thought was that the two knobs were different colors. But then I realized they were the same color and same material, but one was used regularly and was touched every day by thousands of hands. The other was locked into position, and if anyone ever did try to use it they quickly discovered that it was useless so they stopped touching it.
I stopped for a second in front of those doorknobs to think. Which wasn't long, because it was a Tuesday morning in Corporate America, and I was standing in the doorway to the cafeteria.
But in those few fleeting seconds I did manage to come up with this.
There is a combined effect of millions and millions of small, seemingly meaningless actions. No single action makes much of difference, but their combined effect is powerful.
And I thought about the people or objects in my life who I gave one chance and then decided they were useless, so I stopped touching them.
Before I walked back to my conference room I touched that shiny left doorknob and appreciated its brilliance.
I stopped for a second in front of those doorknobs to think. Which wasn't long, because it was a Tuesday morning in Corporate America, and I was standing in the doorway to the cafeteria.
But in those few fleeting seconds I did manage to come up with this.
There is a combined effect of millions and millions of small, seemingly meaningless actions. No single action makes much of difference, but their combined effect is powerful.
And I thought about the people or objects in my life who I gave one chance and then decided they were useless, so I stopped touching them.
Before I walked back to my conference room I touched that shiny left doorknob and appreciated its brilliance.
And then I ran my fingers gently across the dull and stubborn right doorknob.
Twice.
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2 comments:
That is a really interesting way to look at it. My first thought, based on life experiences, would have been "The handle on the right is worn out and dull because of excessive use and negligence." Because that's what happens when people use you - you become worn out, and you lose your "shine." With proper care and treatment (in this case, a good cleaning), the handle on the right could probably look shiny and new again. Similarly, as human beings, we can maintain our vibrancy if we surround ourselves with people who nurture and care for us.
That's a great perspective on it, Anon. Worn out from excessive use... Here's to vibrancy and nurture and care. :)
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