There’s always a story when an underdog upsets the calculations of the experts and trailblazes to glory. Such an episode is gleefully lapped up the public.

In life, many seemingly small things also do matter a lot but quite often they don’t get the recognition they deserve. Let’s attempt to give them their due.

The word ‘thanks’ is too short but when we utter this word, we feel grateful and light-hearted. The recipient of our ‘thanks’ is equally delighted. On getting up each day, greeting our family members may seem so inconsequential but if we practise this habit, happiness will radiate in the family. Little acts of kindness done by us today can bring in rich rewards later when we least expect it. 

If we put a ceiling on our desires and save money, the savings in our kitty can slowly and steadily grow and help us tide over financial crisis and in reaching out to deserving people. 

We may possess a giant sized state-of-the-art television that beams numerous channels. But if we lose the small remote control, we can’t enjoy the contraption. Time is so precious. Who can dispute that? But think about it. The clocks and watches that show us the time all depend on tiny cells to keep them ticking. A mobile without a SIM is like Hamlet without Denmark. 

Through computer and emails, we get connected to the world. If we forget our little password, we cannot access our emails. We may be millionaires but if we fail to keep the little ‘PIN’ of our credit and debit cards confidentially, a fraudster can hack our accounts and pierce a pin in the balloon of our peace.

A stitch in time saves nine. A spark can be easily put off. But if it turns into a raging fire, the damage done can turn out to be irreversible. The number zero has no value. But when it is juxtaposed to 1, it becomes 10. With 10, it becomes 100 and so on. The tip of the iceberg is small but what lies underneath is too large to decipher.

A seed is too flimsy to take notice of but when it grows into a colossal tree, it provides shelter to birds, shade to the public and a vitamin tonic to the eco system. One can ignore a button in a shirt or a cog in a wheel at one’s own peril. A small push button when pressed can operate a large power plant and power up vast areas. Those little push buttons connected to nuclear stockpiles, if inadvertently pressed can unleash a nuclear Armageddon.

Have we not come across the proverbial horse-shoe nail’s impact? For want of a nail, the shoe was lost ...It led to a series of losses and ultimately the kingdom was lost. So, we should never underestimate the power of the little things. What has been listed here is in fact too small. If readers chip in, the list can grow into a book. 

Neil Armstrong, the first man to land on the moon said, “One small step for man but a giant leap for mankind.” Let’s not feel dazed at the big problems of our life and instead consistently take small steps towards solving them.