Exactly three months ago on 12.12.23, I wrote my first Small Is In The Large post, with the hope of creating a space to celebrate tiny moments that open us up to the brilliance of a larger whole. In that first post, I said that “Every Tuesday… I will share a reflection on one such tiny moment, be it a story, a lyric, a poem, a recipe, a manhole, a pebble, an encounter with a stranger, or the myriad of ways in which this {small=large} relationship manifests. I would love it if you would join me…”
To be honest, even though I was hopeful, I was not sure if anyone would actually join me, because alongside this hope, was a healthy dose of fear, which manifested in thoughts like - Why do you want to put yourself out there? What if no one subscribes? Who cares about these tiny things?
Thankfully, you guys proved “fear” wrong. You signed up, you liked, you commented, you forwarded, you restacked, you recommended, you emailed thoughtful notes, and you helped spread the word, so that what started as a handful of us, is now over 100 strong.
If I were social media savvy, this is where I would insert a cute, fun, video with hearts and confetti to say THANK YOU! Alas though, I am not, so you will just have to imagine hearts and sparkles coming your way.
In the scheme of the Substack world, where people have tens of thousands of subscribers, objectively speaking the 100 mark is not a big deal. And to be frank, I was not going to say a word, but then last month Substack sent me a note of congrats and a nudge to celebrate.
Now, as some of you know, I am the President of the Extreme Procrastinators Club and I come from a background where humility, as well as understated responses are prized. As such, it’s taken me four weeks to acknowledge this mini milestone. During these four weeks, I have been thinking about the value in celebrating small wins, amidst a culture that tends to only value things that are big and showy.
Here are my unedited notes:
“Big” doesn’t happen, without the “small”
Most moments are spent in the “small,” not in the big
To achieve those big milestones, you need to work through the small
Small wins are often within our control. They tend to involve tiny steps and do not require an exorbitant amount of time
When we only celebrate big moments, we devalue the small steps along the way that brought us there
Pausing to acknowledge a small win is part of a gratitude practice, making us more mindful, more present, more human.
I think of small wins, as tiny steps on the journey. They are like tiny smoke signals that tell the universe that you are an active co-creator.
We all have small wins. What small win are you celebrating today?
With gratitude for being part of this journey.
Much love,
Tamara
100 subscribers is a milestone worth celebrating! It also feels particularly appropriate given the title of your Substack! Congrats and I feel lucky to be on this journey with you.
Yay!! Congrats! And yes to celebrating the wins in life, of all sizes ❤️