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How children can grow up learning ‘the power of small’
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JAYESH Patel stretched and smiled. He quoted Mother Teresa, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
Growing up, Jayesh Patel was nicknamed “toilet boy.” Since his father dedicated his life to improving sanitation, young Patel was assigned to cleaning public toilets everyday after school. Now Patel, 48, is an environmental advocate who has built over five hundred thousand toilets in Gujarat, India. I met him when visiting his sanitation institute.
“Many times we get caught up with visible impact and we want to see results. Through this, we create desire, stress, and misery,” said Patel. “But if we focus on the power of small, what we can do in this very moment, impact will naturally emerge if that’s what is needed in the world.”
His philosophy is that small, everyday actions have the most impact. The solution to big issues (like sanitation) begins with consistently completing small acts.
In his own view, he does not necessarily need to change his entire urban lifestyle to live a better life — however, he consciously performs positive, daily actions and detaches himself from material desires.
“I still eat at Pizza Hut and I turn on the air conditioner on a hot day. But I can also do without it,” said Patel. “One day my friend offered me to stay at a five-star hotel. The next day I slept on the streets and watched the night sky and stars. It was the same to me.”
In modern life, children often grow up being told to “think big.”
Students are constantly taught to dream of future careers and how they can make a difference in the world. In struggling to apply for colleges, to find profitable jobs, and ultimately a “better” life, students often forget the process — the small and consistent action steps that need to be taken.
Mundane actions
Patel’s words have made me notice what otherwise I would have dismissed as mundane actions.
Everyday, as I walk to the subway station, I notice how many passersby take the time to look up from their phones and smile back. Tired and trying to find a seat on the crowded subway, I respect the strangers who give their seat up for someone else. When I exit the subway, I wonder why people are in such a rush to leave the station. Upon arriving at the Shanghai Daily building, besides the doorman, I observe who holds open the door or elevator for someone else.
Recently, during my lunch break, I went to eat noodles in a small shop. I heard a ruckus at a table across the room. A girl on the verge of tears was standing with her head bowed. A heavy water pitcher had slipped from her hands and water spilled over her side of the table. Her mother continued to scold her for being so clumsy, causing a scene.
The other customers in the shop pretended to be absorbed in their meals while sneaking glances. One waitress stood there, her manner indicating that the scene wasn’t hers to interfere with.
At the height of the argument, another waitress swooped in. “It’s no problem, I got it. This just shows that your daughter is independent and likes to take things into her own hands,” she smiled. The girl immediately looked up and smiled back, her spirits visibly lifted by this simple act of consideration and kindness.
When noticing my daily actions, I build stronger human relationships and environmental awareness. Even if it’s just a few minutes talking to my doorwoman, who happily opens the door everyday for me or the security guard at the front of the Shanghai Daily building.
The pursuit of a busy, urban lifestyle often does not allow much opportunity to harmonize with nature.
The human desire for profit and material satisfaction decreases simple human interactions. In urban areas, social interactions with strangers are mostly hasty and clipped.
Having a dream to study abroad in the United States or a vision for a complex project is not enough on its own to lead to a “better” life.
Small good deeds can lead to greater wellbeing. Children should grow up learning “the power of small.”
Daily actions have the most impact, because every action has an effect and they add up. Reaching harmony with nature through our daily actions can improve our relations with each other and with our environment.
As Patel repeats, “Perform small acts of great love.”
Allison Zhu is a high school student from the United States and a former intern at Shanghai Daily.
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