By Mark Fierle
Growing up in Western New York we always had plenty of snow during the winter months. As a result we became experts at making snowballs, both the small ones for throwing purposes and the large variety for making snowmen.
The large ones are the subject of this chapter as it has a function in our life, at least the way I see it. Here’s what I mean.
For all of you that are not experienced snowman makers, big snowmen are first of all small snowballs. Just like children, with a little nurturing they become big snowballs or grown adults; then if we choose snowmen. Yes, little snowballs can become snowmen. So how do we make snowmen? First make a small ball then roll it in the snow, keep rolling and soon you have a big ball. Add a medium sized ball then a smaller one for the head, add a few bits of charcoal and a carrot for a nose and we’ve got a snowman. Okay, how does that relate to me?
Think about it. When our belief is that we are doing everything possible, can we do one thing more? It is amazing how momentum makes a difference. Just get the ball rolling and pretty soon there’s a new snowman. Often it’s just one more thing we do that gets the momentum rolling. Even a small, insignificant change can result in profound consequences, sometimes without a logical explanation. Here is an example. When Sandy Koufax came up to the Brooklyn Dodgers, he had a devastating curveball and an electric fastball. He had only one problem, he couldn’t get that fastball over the plate and he lingered as a so so pitcher with great stuff. Finally, after a number of mediocre years a small insignificant change was made. His frustrated pitching coach with the Dodgers suggested that Sandy ease up a bit on his fastball. The consequence was that immediately his pitch control improved. Almost at once he became the most dominant pitcher in the Majors and ended up a Hall of Fame pitcher in his first year of eligibility and one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. It wasn’t a miracle, just a small insignificant change along with a lot of God-given talent that made the difference.
There are thousands of stories like this in every walk of life. Maybe by asking your mentor or someone you trust to evaluate your style, method of operation, etc. you can make a small insignificant change that can positively influence your life. By the way, we all have God-given talent. We just need to use it in the intended manner. Here is a short poem that I refer to often:
“Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you never can tell
How close you are,
It may be near when it seems so afar
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit!”
Sorry, I don’t know who wrote this little gem but it always seems to work for me. Hope it works for you.
Here’s one more little tidbit, it involves “miracles.” Miracles happen when they are most needed and the person involved has the faith and hope to believe they can occur. Sometimes when it’s almost to the point of hopelessness a miracle occurs. That’s why they call it a miracle. It may be a small miracle or a large miracle. Sometimes we don’t even recognize it as a miracle, just maybe our good luck, a result of our hard work, a fortunate event, even a coincidence that can change our lives and get us back on track. Moral, don’t give up hope, keep the faith, and make that significant or insignificant change. Don’t rely on miracles, just make use of your God given talent, institute changes when necessary and live your miracle!
