Are the Little Things Breaking You?

Read time:  Approximately 3 minutes

Updated 05/19/2022

Do you ever feel as though you make the same mistakes over and over again?

 

It is possible that the little things are to blame.

 

Just recently as I was heading home, I realized that I needed to get gas.

Do you like to stop for gas?

I. Do. Not!   

It is so very easy to rationalize the decision to avoid filling the gas tank.

Here was mine:

• There were two bars showing.  (Should that actually have been a sign to stop?)
• It was late and I was tired
• I was about 2 miles from home.  I should easily be able to go at least 25 miles before running out of gas.
• I could leave early the next day and get gas on my way to work. (Another reason TO stop!)

Without hesitation, I whizzed right by the opportunity to fill my tank.

Late that night, my phone rang.  The assisted living facility where my mom lives was calling to let me know that she needed to be transported to the hospital.   

Did I want to transport her or did I want them to call the ambulance? 

In my sleep induced state, I made the decision to transport her myself.

Remember….two bars showing.

Which quickly became one bar showing after making the trip to pick up my mom.

We still had to make it to the hospital!

As I sped to the hospital my main thought (which was really a desperate prayer) was “please God, don’t let me run out of gas.”

Unfortunately, this was not the first time I was in the position of having to pray that particular prayer.

Even after actually running out of gas on more than one occasion, this is kind of a running prayer for me.

That night was a turning point.  My neglect put both me and my mom in a very scary situation.

God showed me mercy, again, and I vowed to end this ridiculous cycle. 

I enacted a self-imposed rule.  I call it rule #2 (because rule # 1 is: “always get a grocery cart”; which is another post for another day!)

 

Rule # 2 is get gas as soon as you dip below a half a tank

 

So far I am adhering. 

Living by Littles is a blog about the little steps we take and the little things we can do to improve our lives and circumstances.  That concept also works in reverse. 

 

We can ruin our lives and continue to live in chaotic circumstances by the little steps we don’t take and the little things we neglect to do.

 

No one sets out to consistently live in chaos.  We simply do that by consistent bad decisions and neglectful actions.

Even unintentional, the result of neglecting to fill my gas tank could have been disastrous.   

 

Often, we are our own worst enemy. 

 

We want to find our keys every morning but neglect to put them in the drawer or on the hook.

Having clean clothes is nice but washing a load a day seems to be too much effort.

It is pretty much a given that we will be getting in the car on a regular basis.  However, stopping to get gas is a nuisance that is easily delegated to another day and another time.

Day by day, we make the (un) intentional decision to whiz right by the gas station that would ultimately enable us to enjoy better circumstances and have a better life. 

 

What little thing are you not doing that continues to cause chaos in your life?

 

Is there some little thing that is breaking you?

It can be fixed!  Enact your own rule #2 (and 3 and 4, if necessary). 

 

Remember, it’s the little things that make or break us. 

 

My desire is to make an intentional decision to let the little things make my life better.

What is your little thing?  I would love to know!

Note:  My mother was fine and they released us without admitting her.  I had to find a gas station at 3:00 a.m. 

 

 

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IT’S A LITTLE THING THAT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO ME!