One day an elephant saw a hummingbird lying on its back with its tiny feet up in the air.
“What are you doing?” asked the elephant.
The hummingbird replied, “I heard that the sky might fall today, and so I am ready to help hold it up, should it fall.”
The elephant laughed cruelly. “Do you really think,” he said, “that those tiny feet could help hold up the sky?”
The hummingbird kept his feet up in the air, intent on his purpose as he replied, “Not alone. But each must do what he can. And this is what I can do.”
Source: Chinese Parable
It’s the scariest thing in the world to start small, believe me I know what it’s like to feel like an ant amongst the Big Five. Over the past year I was contemplating opening a bridal boutique in town and yet each time I got too serious about actually doing it, I would back down. I would go around town a couple of times a month and check out all the bridal shops and the more I saw how established and prosperous they were the more I became discouraged. And so months passed, I even ordered stuff for the shop and when it arrived I got cold feet and sold most of it. However in January this year I finally got the courage to open a bridal shop in town. I figured I would just try, after all, what did I have to lose. I could spend another year planning to open a shop or actually doing it…and so I did it.
What made it a really hard decision to make was because in Gweru, where I stay, just the previous month, a lodge opened the most amazing bridal shop and when I saw it I almost died. Still, I went ahead and opened my little shop (53 6th Street, Gweru, Zimbabwe) and almost 7 weeks down the line (and a less than 100m from the amazing bridal shop) I can say I have managed to stay afloat.
The one lesson I have learnt over the last few weeks is that I have one life and I have to live it the best way I know how. I don’t have to look down upon myself because every big corporate out there started small, most of them in basements, I am so super blessed to be able to start by having a shop in the city.
Life is full of many whys, hows and what ifs and should one decide to dwell on all of them they will never go anywhere or become anything. My mantra for the year is, “take care of today’s business today and leave tomorrow and the day after to God”.
It doesn’t matter how small you are, you are part of a universe that without your existence and contribution would probably wouldn’t be so bright so don’t be bullied into giving up whatever dream you have, nurture it and it will flourish.
You are an individual and you can only do so much and yet, it takes one pebble to start a ripple effect so go ahead, it is through small acts that we change the world. Your vision might not change the economy of the country in one day but as long as it is contributing toward change and something bigger than yourself then you are making a difference.
Till then…Express Yourself!!
