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Today's
Quotation:
Attention to detail is the secret of success in
every sphere
of life,
and little kindnesses, little acts of
consideration,
little appreciations,
little confidences. .
. . they are
all that are needed
to keep the friendship
sweet.
Hugh Black
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Today's
Meditation:
I
can't tell you how many times I heard the phrase
"attention to detail" during my four years in the
army. With every task that we undertook, the concept
of paying attention to every little detail was repeated over
and over again, until we were quite sick of it. The
reason for that was very simple-- almost everything that we
trained to do in the army could have life or death
consequences, and if we didn't pay attention to details when
we needed to, someone could die-- and perhaps many people.
We
tend to think that our daily lives aren't life-threatening,
but I suppose that depends on how we define life. I
think it depends on whether we're thriving and doing well or
just getting by. If we do pay attention to the little
details in our lives, we can stay in the
"thriving" side of life much more often, and
perhaps even take up permanent residence there, but if we
let the little details slide, then we're not moving towards
the better sides of ourselves.
Our
friendships and acquaintances can be a good indicator of
where we stand in our lives. Do we give to other
people so that their days may be brighter, or do we hold
back and not perform the little kindnesses or show the
little considerations? I know that I truly appreciate
it when other people show attention to detail when they deal
with me, so why wouldn't others appreciate it when I do so?
And
if I do pay attention to these little details, then I'll
have a pretty good indicator by which to gauge where I am in
developing my own character, my own compassion, and my own
ability to live my life fully.
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