The little things

My brother Anil, being a few years older than me and more experienced,
is also kind of a philosopher like me and in his lifetime he has come up
with some gems. One of them is - "Nobody notices the little things."

It sounds stupid, right? Well, it isn't. It seems overly simple and
almost untrue until you stop to think about it. There are little things,
very very little things in life, and millions and billions of them, that
we don't really notice and don't use to our advantage. I know you won't
believe me without examples.

There was a mystery novel in which some characters are able to escape
because of the simple, real life fact that, "Once you see a uniform
nobody really notices the face". This is especially true of the
so-called "little people", most times you don't even look at the face of
a waiter, chambermaid, taxi driver, doorman etc. etc.

In a Surendra Mohan Pathak novel, the hero plans a murder and his scheme
hinges on the habit that people always look at their own wrist watch
when they hear a clock chiming the hour. Such a small thing, but
everybody does it without even thinking.

Let's leave the novels apart and talk about real life. I am going to
quote from my experience and maybe you can say if you find that to be
true or not in your case.

When I go for a job interview or an important formal meeting, I find
that it increases my confidence if I have freshly shaved as opposed to
having a stubble.

The same thing applies to clothes, clean, well-ironed, proper clothes
give you an edge in dealing with any kind of situation.

When a boss says something in a slow speed, using careful words like
"Will it be possible for you...", it doesn't bring out the defiant
animal in me.

When a person is smiling, despite his words, I am less likely to take
offence, even if he's pointing out a flaw in my character.

In our interactions with other people also there are numerous little
things that matter and may add up to big things.
- Wishing "Good Morning" to a person from whom you see every day but
from whom you don't need anything.
- Asking a favor in a tone that shows your understanding of the fact
that the other person doesn't have to do it for you.
- Noticing that the person you are talking to has received a phone call
and shutting up to let them answer it.
- Turning on your smile as you walk up to another person, maybe to ask
for a favor, or to discuss official matters.

Two examples from the movie "Pursuit of Happyness" which I watched
recently in India and liked very much.
1. Will Smith, working as an intern in a stock broker firm, and fighting
his own battles in personal life is always pressed for time. As part of
his job at the firm, he has to make a lot of phone calls. And since he
can spend less time than others on the job he does things like,
-"I realized that if I didn't put down the phone in between calls, I
could save 8 minutes in a day. So, I stopped putting the receiver down.
Also, I stopped drinking water on the job so I would not spend as much
time in the bathroom."
Details, right? I don't know if 8 minutes a day made any contribution to
his ultimate success, but his attitude of saving 8 minutes a day
definitely did!

2. Another point that is very noticeable, at least to me, is that Will
Smith is poor, he has no fancy degrees, he has no experience, he has no
time, he has problems by the dozen, yet he never complains, he never
loses hope, he never stops trying. And anytime he speaks to a character,
he is courteous, polite, well in control of his emotions and his words
are always well-chosen to show gratitude, appreciation and a positive
attitude. Those things matter!

The whole point I am trying to make is that in life you need to be
mindful of little things that matter!