I have heard it popularly stated that by small and simple things – great things could be accomplished. Spring is a season where I feel this principle is illustrated quite clearly in nature. Consider the example of a small and seemingly insignificant seed, perhaps even invisible to the eye, that has been lying dormant under a blanket of organic cover and snow since autumn. As the snow melts and the temperature increases, that seed begins to germinate and comes to life. Within a relatively short window, that seed grows into a plant and then vegetation of a much larger scale. The plant begins its photosynthesis cycle and converts carbon dioxide into the oxygen that many of the other inhabitants of our planet need to sustain life. It doesn’t take a very long progression to see how a small and seemingly insignificant seed can have a great impact on many other things in orders far greater than the seed itself could imagine.
I feel this pattern reflects a principle in our own lives as human beings. When one considers the billions of humans that have lived and are currently living, one would have to be disconnected from reality to consider the self greater than the harmonic standard of the species. On a cellular level, this might be true – much like the single and inconsequential seed, one of the billions scattered across a dormant field of grass. Within each of us, I believe we have more potential than an, albeit complex, cellular accident of nature solely destined to consume, reproduce, and perish. Perhaps the individual seed sitting in its place as one of the billions would perceive itself in a similar humility. From our human order or observation, we know that the seed has potential, and its life is necessary to the collective whole. It would stand to reason that, given an understanding of its situation, the seed would have little comprehension of what it could become and how significant it could be to variables that it does not know to exist.
Is it possible then, that each or any of us, given our numeric inconsequentiality, could make a difference or even have an impact on the greater whole? The act of a seedling breaking out of its casing creates a chain of events that may lead to something greater. I have seen this in many people’s lives as they are required to reinvent themselves professionally, take a moral stand on a principle that they believe in, or choose to create peace by illustrating tolerance towards another’s point of view.
In the initial tender stages of a germinating seed, it requires a relatively great exertion of strength to split its casing. It takes courage, will power, and strength to change or split our respective seed casings confining us to intellectual, emotional, spiritual, or professional dormancy. Once the courage to grow has been initiated: roots can spread, stalks can develop, and leaves can unfurl. Only hindsight will tell that a small act of courage in a sliver of time had a changing impact on a sphere greater than one could imagine possible.
By this line of logic, I feel it fair to state that one individual can make a difference, but the choice to do so lies within the individual. One must first initiate the courage to change and then exercise the strength to make it happen. The level of possibility depends on the coding within the individual – but the potential is within us all. I hope that as the citizens of the Heber Valley ponder this concept this spring, that we decide to use our energy to build up others and the budding community around us. Choosing to be a positive influence is contagious and a much-needed salve in our societal status quo. Criticism without a viable solution is a coward’s path. I challenge the community to break your respective molds of confinement by implementing positive thought and solution-based dialogue into your daily routines.
Thank you for your continued support of Heber Valley Life. I hope you truly enjoy our spring 2020 collection of thoughts and stories.
