Standing Tall, in a Sea of Small Standards

The other day I read a Facebook post from someone who was expressing their horror and dismay at a product being sold by a large retailer. A product that seemed inappropriate for that retailer to be selling and marketing. The individual indicated that while they currently did not shop with this retailer, they would be sure not to until the retailers attitudes changed and this product was removed from their shelves and product line up.

Now it is not important who the retailer was or what the product was, or even so much what any of the other details of the post are. What intrigued me, were the comments that were made about this post and the individuals intention to "boycott" the retailer. There were several that chided the poster for their naiveté suggesting that if they boycott every organization that sells something they don't like they wouldn't be able to shop anywhere. While this may be true, it is a sad representation of what I see as the "Small Standards" or "lowest common denominator" mentality that holds most people back from achieving their full potential.

Why, when someone wants to make a stand for something good, are there throngs of people who will tell you why you can't or shouldn't? I don't have the answer. I just find it curious that when we aspire to greatness there are plenty of people who would rather tear us down, than lift us up.

Sand Dollars

Let me illustrate with a fictitious tale of a young lad who was found scurrying around the beach one morning during low-tide, picking up sand dollars and throwing them back into the ocean.

The young lad was approached by an elderly gentleman, who was out for a leisurely stroll along the beach. The elderly gentleman inquired of the lad what it was that he was doing.

The young lad responded cheerfully, to the elderly gentleman, that he was saving the sand dollars. To which the elderly gentleman, looking up and down the beach which was blanketed with sand dollars,  kindly pointed out to the young man that he was wasting his time and that his efforts would not make a difference for so many sand dollars.

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To which the lad bent down, fetched a sand dollar, and tossed it into the ocean with the response, "I made a difference for that one".

Do The Right

Tomorrow, April 8, 2015, in my city they are asking everyone to Do the Right! To start a campaign of compassion. It might be easy for some to say that it won't make a difference. But that would be a small standard, why not think big? Let's start with one city and get it to spread to a county, then a state, then a nation, and why not the world? I hope everyone Stands Tall, even if for one day - "because you never know how one act of kindness can change someone's life". Why not  Stand Tall?

Let's all strive to Achieve our full potential.

Let me know what you think in the comments below.