THE LITTLE BIG THINGS BY BEN GRIME

At first, I didn’t really think about what I was doing. I knew I had overarching goals like “get a degree,” “fall in love,” and “make a lot of money,” but those weren’t really my ideas. I was a business student, an art student, and a tech student, but I wasn’t innovating, creating, or programming what I did for myself. 

Looking at the unconscious college atmosphere of “be a leader,” I, and many of my peers ended up interpreting this as “be a leader by following the leaders before us.” I did this subconsciously, but I was innovating only when it was convenient. I was caught in the atmosphere.

All it took for me to realize I was stuck in this atmosphere was to stop for a second and think about what I’ve done and if I’m happy. In an atmosphere where being a leader means being in front of having a spotlight, I didn’t want to lead that way. I decided to go against the atmosphere and do what I want. 

The first time I changed my world was when I complimented a stranger on their jacket. He was wearing a mask, but I know he smiled, and it made both of our days. It wasn’t a big thing, like running a charity or saving blind baby geckos, but I know that one little thing changed the world for me.