Small Things Are a Big Deal
Most of my posts about making a difference are about small, achievable ways you can help change the world. Whether it’s taking pictures of your hotel room in order to fight human trafficking or honoring your commitments, small things really matter. A year ago I recommended going easy on yourself, because I believe in the value of things such as cutting back and focusing on growth rather than perfection.
Over the course of your life, you may accomplish big things, but you will accomplish far more small things. In fact, small things may be all you accomplish. But that’s not something to fret about. Small things really can make a difference. Think about things that have touched your life. Odds are, they were small. Maybe someone treated you like you really mattered at a time when you were questioning your worth. Maybe a friend or family member got you the help you needed when you were unable to help yourself. A tiny drip from the roof of a cave builds up over time into astonishing formations. In the same way, little acts of kindness can have an impressive impact.
Small things can be powerful.
But That Doesn’t Mean You Shouldn’t Think Big
That said, I think we should give ourselves permission to think big. Although plenty of people will tell you to dream big, others say that big dreams are dangerous, maybe even evil. We’re told that when we set goals, we need to make sure they are realistic and achievable within a certain time frame. We’re told that we can’t change the world, we can only change ourselves, and that accordingly, we should keep our expectations in check. I’ve even run across an excellent blog post by someone who has come to the conclusion that when people try to change the world, they may be putting themselves in the place of God.
On the one hand, each and every one of these people has a point. If I expect to establish world peace over the next year, I’m going to fail. And it’s important for any of us who want to change the world to approach the issues that concern us with humility and a sense of our human limitations. It’s also important to acknowledge that there will always be plenty of evil in the world. We may be able to change the world, but you and I are not going to save the world.
On the other hand, I’m glad that some of my heroes, such as William Wilberforce, didn’t listen to advice like that.
My recent reading has included a biography of Wilberforce, which I may review in a future post. Wilberforce played a major role in abolishing the British slave trade. He didn’t think small, nor did he worry that he was trying to be god-like by judging slavery as wrong and working toward abolition. He didn’t say, “Well, I can’t change the world; I’ll just focus on changing myself.” Instead, year after year, for decades, he used his position as a member of parliament to try to outlaw the slave trade. He was not a fan of the camp that promoted abolishing slave trade “gradually” — an “achievable” goal. He saw that for what it was: kicking the can down the road. His faith in God and his belief that slavery was evil moved him to attempt to achieve an audacious goal. And for the most part, he achieved it.
But Wilberforce did not completely achieve his goal, and he did, in fact, break things down into (somewhat) smaller, more “achievable,” steps. Ultimately, he wanted to see slavery abolished, but he felt that it would be easier to outlaw the slave trade first. He accomplished his initial goal, but he wasn’t able to oversee the abolition of slavery; instead, he was presented with additional problems to tackle. British colonies were continuing to receive illegal supplies of slaves, so he had to fight to make sure the new law was enforced. And because other nations were still engaging in the slave trade, he spent years pushing for treaties that required these nations to abolish the practice. The British act abolishing slavery was passed eight years after Wilberforce retired, right around the time of his death.
In light of all this, and given the fact that slavery still exists (illegally) in the world today, you could argue that Wilberforce ultimately accomplished very little. But I believe that people like Wilberforce, who refuse to think small, really do make a big difference. If not for Wilberforce and other abolitionists, where would we be today? Slavery may still exist, but at least it’s illegal!
Wilberforce bit off more than he could chew. Each year he tried to succeed at something that took decades to accomplish, and even then, the work wasn’t done. But what he and others like him did was more than most people will manage to accomplish, all because they pursued big dreams of a better world.
So by all means, think small. Most of us will never be another Wilberforce… and even if you or I manage to make a huge impact on the world, we should never neglect the many things we can accomplish through small actions.
But if you feel moved to tackle some great evil in the world, it’s okay to think big! There are no guarantees that you will accomplish what you set out to do. You’ll need to be prepared to persevere in the face of discouragement, year after year after year. You’ll need to work with others, including people who are younger than you, so they can take the reins from you when you’re gone. And you’ll need to realize that a victory is not the end, because there will always be problems that bubble up. But the world needs people who think big and attempt the impossible. Don’t be afraid to join them.