The Whale Principle: How Small Actions Build Greatness

[music] >> The blue whale is the largest creature to have ever [music] lived, even bigger than a dinosaur, as long as three buses. But here is the surprise, this giant [music] feeds almost exclusively on krill. Tiny creatures the size of a fingernail, and it swallows about 40 million of them a day. The biggest in history is built [music] from the smallest things. Not one giant prey, but countless tiny ones. And let's admit it, we are always waiting [music] for the big move, for one decision that will change everything, for the dramatic moment, for the viral success. And in the meantime, we underestimate the small, the daily habit, [music] the tiny step, the small kindness. It's nothing, it doesn't count, [music] and we wait for something that won't come. The Mishnah in Avot warns exactly about this. Be as careful with a minor commandment as with a major one. Do not underestimate a small commandment. Greatness is not built from one giant move, but from the accumulation [music] of countless small ones. Our spiritual whale is built from the tiny actions that go uncounted. [music] Science has proven that the giant is built from the small. Our sages [music] knew that greatness is built from minor commandments. The Holy One, blessed be He, does not expect one giant move from us, but builds us from countless small things that seem [music] like nothing to us. Let us not wait for the big move. Let us gather the small and become giants.