“Every little bit counts”

Never has a quote of the week resonated so much with me than this one.

I guess as you get older, you begin to realize that time passes regardless of what you do, say, act or feel. Time marches on and it can leave you behind if you are not careful.

I remember being 24 years old and feeling pretty old. I had graduated from University and was working in banking. My job was ok.  I had some amazing people that I worked with (hugs out to Joumana if she ever reads this — this girl owns a very special place in my heart:)), and I was actually quite good at what I was doing. The potential to move ahead was certainly there.

But there was something inside me that wasn’t happy. I didn’t think I would ever be happy in banking. I decided to radically change my direction and pursue a career in Speech Language Pathology.

I remember telling people and getting mixed opinions. Why go back to school? So hard to get into the program… I could move up in banking, develop a good career. Could I imagine being a student again? How would I fund school? I was nervous, unsure, and  teetered on what to do.

Then I spoke to my ex-husband’s aunt – whom I adored and miss to this day (she was taken from us a few short years later on Christmas eve). I always valued her advice and so I told her my plans. She said “That’s great! Do it!”  – no hesitation. I told her my doubts and  she said to me, “Leah, time is going to go by anyways. But 5 years will go by and you will either be a Speech Pathologist, or you will still be doing what you are doing and hating it.” A little bit of sacrifice now will reap great rewards later. It was hard to get my head around the idea that starting to make the small changes, like taking a part time class at the University to get my prerequisites, and starting to save for more schooling could make a difference. It was hard to get my head around how what little things I did then, would so greatly impact my life now.

I have been a Speech Language Pathologist now for coming up on 17 years. I have been in private practice for almost 12 years. This career, while not always perfect, has allowed me to work, serve and touch lives in ways that I probably don’t understand. It allowed me to be fully independent during a time in which I had myself and two young boys to support. It has allowed me to contribute to the lifestyle that we, as a family of 7 now enjoy.

I smile when people tell me how “lucky” I am.

Yes, luck has something to do with it. But I really attribute it to having an attitude of “every little bit counts”. And having that attitude all along the way.

Every dollar I have saved, every book I have read, every prayer I have said, every blog post I have written, every room I have cleaned, every can of food I have purchased, every hour I have exercised (heck, every minute!!), every goal I have made has made a difference. 

I think there are two philosophies out there: “Every little bit counts”, or “What’s the difference, it’s not going to make or break you.”

One pushes you to do better and put effort in always, and one gives you an excuse not to push yourself.

One eventually makes a difference, and I really do believe, the other does break you.

I subscribe to “Every little bit counts”. I think it’s a mindset that makes you stronger, smarter, richer, better, kinder, more spiritual. It leads to security, stability, and better relationships.

Mother Teresa had some great quotes that to me speak to the power of every little bit counts:

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop was not in the ocean, I think the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. I do not agree with the big way of doing things.”

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”

Start now. Just go and do whatever small thing you can.  Then keep doing it. Plant the seed. Then keep nourishing it. Then watch it slowly grow.