The importance of small details

[Shivastorm_88]

This is sort a complimentary post to my previous one, greatness achieved through effort. I don't plan on making it very long, as it is a small subject, yet one that I deem quite important. Small details... What are they exactly? Here are a few examples:


1) In outdoor setting, during a hike, appreciating everything nature has to offer, not just the sight. This means the sounds, the smell, the feel, etc.


2) When eating, appreciate every subtle tastes, and every piece of the meal, whether for it's taste, or what it brings to the overall meal.


3) When studying, don't focus on how boring it is. Instead, focus on what it brings you: More knowledge, a potentially more secure future, etc.


4) When drawing, focus on small, minute details, not just the overall picture.


5) In music, focus on every aspect of a song: The lyrics, the voice, the guitar, drums, bass, keyboards, other instruments, the way they complement each other, etc.


... And many more. It seems like completely opposite examples, but there is a pattern. I don't know if everywhere it is like this, but in North America, we tend to live an extremely fast-paced lifestyle, which means that we end up sacrificing small details in order to accomplish (or finish) what we are doing as soon as possible. We do not enjoy what we are doing, we are only seeking the end result. However, you cannot fully enjoy what you are doing unless you fully immerse yourself into it. Likewise, if you put more effort into something, you will 1) get a better result, and 2) be much more proud of your accomplishment.


Many people say the day is too short and that there are too many things to do and there is too big of a lack of time to be able to take things at a slower pace. I don't believe it is true. Sure, everyone is busy. I myself am very busy. Wall climbing 2-3x per week, hiking 1-2x per week, yoga 1x per week, work 25 hours per week, 4 classes of school, and yet I still find time to take it easy and relax. If I find time to relax, it means that despite my busy schedule, I have spare time to be able to immerse myself more fully in activities I undertake, or in what I am doing at the present moment.


Sure, this might mean less video games and less T.V., but quite frankly I prefer living my life as much as I can instead of witnessing other people live it through fictional settings.

Life has so much to offer, why storm through it?

 

[Ease]

You are describing experiencing a high.

You could live like this for a few days max, and then forget about it yourself. These are temporary thoughts, and they are too abstract to have any meaning.

Too much waffle and not anything material. You should study sociology, you would enjoy it. It is basically the study and unnecessary over-complication of everyday events.

 

[hansol]

edit: I'm dumb.

 

[Boilermaker]

"coplEmentary"

not

"compLImentary"

which has an entirely different meaning.

That is one important small detail.

 

[Bryce556]

were you feeling high when you wrote this??

 

[lightofhatred]

You are describing experiencing a high.

You could live like this for a few days max, and then forget about it yourself. These are temporary thoughts, and they are too abstract to have any meaning.

Too much waffle and not anything material. You should study sociology, you would enjoy it. It is basically the study and unnecessary over-complication of everyday events.

I think he was high LOL

 

[lugsy211]

Shiva has hit on something that is very current.

I am leading a busy lifestyle just like the multitude in our fast paced new world, with constant distraction and stimulus. Taking things one step or part at a time, being FULLY present and aware in the moment - this is an important skill to learn.

Very good post.

 

[Shivastorm_88]

"coplEmentary"

not

"compLImentary"

which has an entirely different meaning.

That is one important small detail.

Heh thanks, Enligsh as a second language means I'm bound to make this kind of mistakes from times to times...

As for all the comments, no I wasn't high. Instead of bashing, why don't you give it a try? I was giving extreme examples, but this can be applicable to anything... Bottom line is, take your time when your doing something, don't rush it, and appreciate the task as much as the end result.

 

[Julius_Seizeher]

It was Julius Caesar who said, "Great events are often the result of trivial causes."

We have all seen this in our own lives, and heard it play out in the stories of success and glory of others.

Tesla took notice of the everyday behaviors of nature, and his casual observations lead him to world-changing discoveries in electricity and radio waves.

A young HJ Heinz was charged with taking care of his mother's garden one summer, and he went on to found the Heinz food empire which we are all familiar with today.

That's off the top of my head. I have seen time and time again that the seemingly insignificant, everyday things often have tremendous effect upon our lives, sometimes changing us forever.

Let's say you were looking for the ultimate business idea. You search the internet, you read the magazines, but you still come up short. Then, standing in line at a gas station, you hear someone express a complaint about some random problem that gives you the inspiration for the idea that changes your life.

Who knows? You might go to a coffeeshop as a part of everyday routine. But what if you went there one day and struck up a conversation with a stranger, who ended up becoming your business partner in a wildly successful enterprise?

Or what if your car broke down on the side of the road, and when you knock on the door of some old farmhouse, the girl destined to be your wife answers the door?

Life is strange and imponderable! The "big deals" so often have their roots in some random twist of fate.