In his book, Small is the New Big, economist writer and blogger, Seth Godin observes that big is no longer an advantage.  In fact, he writes, it’s the opposite. “If you want to be big, act small,” he advises. 

Godin’s words are aimed at business people, but it might as well be directed towards church folk and charities. 

Big money and big names or  big groups of people equals big power. All of us would like to have more money, and many of us would enjoy popularity with more people. As a writer, I hope that more people will read my blog and, (one day)  buy my books. Why? Because I believe in the words  I am crafting and want to spread it out to as many people as I can.  

But here’s the thing :  the greatest joy that writers relish is the one on one interaction with readers. It’s the note of encouragement, or the word of thanks that reverberates around the soul of a writer. Selling many books and being successful in a big way is a rush. For sure. (and one day I hope to experience this!)  Yet it’s the heart to heart encounter with another human being where the really good stuff happens.

New York Times best-selling author, William P. Young of The Shack, became an accidental author. He set out to write a story for his family, and somehow it ended up in print and publication and last I heard had sold more than four million copies. 

Paul, as his family and friends call him, lives here  in the Portland area. I’ve had a few opportunities to interview him. I asked him once what was the best part of his new found platform of celebrity. Did he say the money?  Nope. Did he say  the adulation.  Not even. “It’s the people, “Paul answered, “It’s meeting people and hearing their stories, how The Shack has affected them. That’s the best part.”

These are small interactions compared to huge speaking engagements. Small is how to be engaging with another person in a way that will leave a lasting impression. 

Big names and big places are harder to navigate. Their size is a problem. You can’t turn  a Titanic around as quick as a canoe.  

Craigslist, which employs less than 20 people, yet it is one of the most visited sites on the internet. Post Secret, began by one man, Frank Warren, began as a simple art project with a community vision. His site attracts millions of hits and has been voted as one of the top websites on the entire internet. Yet he will not accept advertising. And it is the simple exchange of one postcard, one secret at a time that makes Post Secret one of the most successful community-based art projects ever. Global, yet local. Humongous, yet intimate. Bigger is not always better, and smaller is not more sacred. The simplicity of ordinary people connecting to one another, through books or art or blogs or whatever, it is the common gesture of paying attention to one another that makes the difference.