Pat Anderson Today

Pick up a small handful of sand and as you let it slip through your fingers you notice the thousands of tiny grains of sand.  You think about the number of sand grains just in that tiny handful of sand and then looking across the vast length of the beach you try to imagine the number of sand grains on this beach alone.  Then thinking about the world filled with beautiful beaches and that tiny handful of sand grains adds up to a mind-boggling amout of grains of sand.  And yet the sand grains are an integral part of the world we are familiar with.

“How?”  you ask.  We’ll get to that in a minute but first let’s compare our life to these sand grains.  Do you ever feel you are just one voice, one small person in a billion?  I know I do.  And yet, I believe each of us wants to count, to make a difference.  We want to stand out and do something significant.  How do you make a difference in a sea of people, many who seem to have a greater impact than we ever could?

Let’s get back to that lesson of the sand grains and how they can teach us about life.  There are 2 lessons to draw from here.

1. Sand is most beneficial when making concrete.  There are a lot of sand grains in a truckload of concrete.  The sand has now become useful for more than just laying on the beach.  Just beyond the beach that I am sitting on are grand hotels, structures formed with loads and loads of concrete.  You may miss a grain of sand but you can’t miss the impressive hotels that hold countless grains of sand.  In the same way, we will make a vast difference in our world as we learn to work together as a team that has a purpose of impacting the world.  It’s hard when you travel the road alone but when you join up with a team of people, together you can make a HUGE difference in the world.  Begin to build your team today!

2. Some beaches attract more people than others.  What is the difference?  Some of the beaches we see consist of huge black rocks jutting out of the ground.  Some are coarse covered with broken shells.  Still others are white and soft, inviting you to come soak up the sun.  Be an inviting person.  Draw people to yourself and you will make a difference in the world.

How can you become an inviting person?  Here are 3 starting points:

• Smile.  Be friendly to everyone.
• Be interested.  Listen with attention to understanding the person who is speaking to you.
• Discover how you can make a difference in that person’s life.  Beginning with one person at a time you will change the world.  It doesn’t add up slowly - it multiplies.  Your efforts will increase exponentially.

So starting today - let’s make a greater difference by working as a team to change the world.  What changes do you want to instigate?  Today’s the day!

Create a Great Day!

Pat Anderson