7/7/26
‘When Trying to Be Helpful, Focus on Little Things’
Mother Teresa once said, “We cannot do great things on this earth. We can only do little things with great love.”
During my recent travel, something simple yet powerful stayed with me.
An elderly man, well into his 80s, stood before an escalator, looking at it with awe and afraid of climbing on it.
Many passengers looked at him and went their way.
Something about him made me stop and I was reminded of the time when I helped a family elder get onto the escalator for the first time.
The elderly man turned around and looked at me, asking for help with just a quiet gesture.
I stepped forward, held his hand and step by step, I guided him and together, we completed the ride.
When it was done, he thanked me with genuine warmth and blessed me.
As I walked away, I couldn’t stop thinking…About our elders — our parents, our grandparents — the people who built the world we live in today. And yet, so many of them now stand alone, struggling with systems that move faster than they can keep up.
It’s not escalators, but It’s hospitals, offices, government services, airports, metro stations – everyday places that have quietly become overwhelming for them.
It doesn’t take much from us. Just a little time, A little patience, A little humanity.
Technology will keep evolving — but compassion should never fall behind.
Our elders deserve dignity.
They deserve respect.
And most importantly, they deserve to know… that when they need us, we will be there.
Sometimes our grandiose plans to do great things at some later time interfere with our chances to do little things right now.
A friend once told me, “I want my life to be about service, but I can’t do anything yet. Someday, when I’m really successful, I’ll do lots of things for others.”
Meanwhile, there are hungry people in the streets, elderly people who could use some assistance or some company, mothers who need help with their children, people who can’t read, neighbors who want some help, streets with litter, people who need to be listened to, and thousands and thousands of other little things that need to be done.
Mother Teresa was right. We can’t change the world, but to make the world a brighter place we don’t need to.
All we really have to do is focus on those little acts of kindness, things we can do right now.
My favorite ways to be of service are to develop my own helping rituals and to practice random acts of kindness – almost always little things that give me enormous satisfaction and peace of mind.
Often the most appreciated acts of kindness aren’t the million-dollar grants from giant corporations but the one hour of volunteer work in a home for the elderly or a small gift for someone who can’t afford anything at all.
Take great care in doing something – anything – we will feel the joy of giving and will help to make our world just a little bit brighter.
Kindness is more than deeds,
It is an attitude,
an expression,
a look,
a touch.
It could be anything that lifts the morale of another person.
Be kind always.
In this cruel world, You do your bit of kindness & good in the world.
Don’t bother about how much difference it will make.
It will definitely make a difference to someone, somewhere.
Do your bit of kindness, however small & Stay blessed forever.