(reposted from 11/22/2010)
“God is in the details.” Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
I learned of this quote when I was designing and
building my home. It is attributed to the field of architecture, but I believe
that it applies to all facets of life. I am continually amazed at how the
little things make such a big difference between a high-quality subsistence,
and just living.
What brought this to the surface was the recent installation
of a new sink faucet in my kitchen. When I moved into the new space, the sink
was shallow, and the existing faucet was flat. As I attempted to make coffee,
clean dirty pans, fill the container to water my plants, etc., it became a real
chore. The new faucet is beautiful, and it allows access. I find myself
drifting to the kitchen to do things, instead of procrastinating. My kitchen is more
functional now. It wasn’t expensive, and it didn’t take a lot of
time to install, but it makes a huge difference.
This made me laugh at myself, and of course, it made me
think.
The simple things mean the most. That little bit of extra
effort and expense can be the difference between great and ordinary.
I choose to live on the immense side of life; I choose to
run from the mundane. At this point, I have had enough mediocrity. I think
about how many marriages could have been saved, if each party had put forth a
little more effort. I think about the difference between a new Honda Accord,
and an Acura TL. I think about how much better our relationships with our
family would be, if we took a few moments to listen with genuine interest. I
think about how much more successful we would be if we gave our careers a
measly 5% more effort.
Most of our problems could be turned around by this simple
concept.
“When the solution is simple, God is answering.”
Albert Einstein
A couple of extra dollars, a extra moment of eye contact and
a smile, ten seconds to respond to an e-mail; it all adds up. It creates inner
wealth and prosperity.
This is what separates the happy from the stale. This is
what separates the winners from the survivors. This is what separates a full
life from merely being.
Take one more step and quality will follow.
My new faucet simply makes me smile!
