‘Go on…just have one!’ – how many of us have fallen foul of this little temptation for that extra chocolate, or in my case….an extra box? Months later that one extra chocolate has led to an unfathomable weight gain and I now we find ourselves gingerly stepping on the scales, eyes half shut, praying for at least ‘just one’ pound to be magically lost?
On a more serious note, this train of thought got me to thinking about the power of the theory ‘it just takes one…’ as the catalyst for driving enormous change… and I’m not just talking about on the weighing scales!
If you have ever either read the journalist Danny Wallace’s biographical book ‘Yes Man,’ documenting a year in his life where he accepted a random challenge from a stranger on a bus to ‘Say yes more,’… or if you, like me, have ever had any of those ‘if only I had….’ instants, reflecting on those momentary hesitations or singular thoughts that have triggered a dramatic change, then you might, as I do now, wonder why we ever say ‘it’s just one’!
I am excited by this reflection, ‘It just takes one’. When you think about this concept applied pro-actively, then seemingly insurmountable life challenges become achievable. Equally from the perspective of collective responsibility, there can be no more passing innocently ‘passing the buck’ or self-excusing.
Most importantly, we must live with a greater level of self-awareness and cognitive consciousness. We must track how we manage our thoughts and our emotions, how one influences the other and how in turn we ‘choose’ to respond, as each time we make a better, or correct response, we are building better habits and influencing our pathway forward. As Einstein taught us ‘Every action has a reaction’ or as many educators would say ‘actions have consequences’.
An inspirational connection of mine, Trixie Holyoake, on speaking of starting one of her businesses ‘Potters Paints’ told me “No-one should think they don’t have enough to start a business of their own’. You just need one ‘pot of paint’ …just one small thing and soon it multiplies and grows. Although this sounds simplistic, there is much truth in it as we can all too easily count the obstacles rather than the opportunities!
Equally, in terms of considering our impact on others, then we need to remember that just one word of encouragement, just one offer of help, or just one kindness or unkindness can be the very one thing that makes or breaks another person’s life or situation.
So where does this actually take us in terms of daily life application? I’d say three things:
1. When faced with tasks that seem too big to begin, decide on one positive step, you can take as a step towards a goal?
2. Reflect on your thought processes and reactions and make changes where needed without hesitation or procrastination… no more putting off to tomorrow what can be done today.
3. Think about your impact on others and the world around you… you alone, or ‘just one’…does make a difference
And lastly… If someone comes at you with a box of chocolates and says ‘Go on…just have one!’ I’m not saying you must say no… but let it remind you ‘just one, DOES make a difference!’.
