Building a fire last night, I got an infinitesimally tiny splinter in my right hand. By morning it was swollen and red. I removed it awkwardly using my left hand to ply the needle. I could not BELIEVE that something so small could cause so much pain.

But once it was out, the pain subsided miraculously.

I could still feel it if I pressed the spot, but in all other ways it was over.

What a lesson.

Sometimes we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by something which is actually so small as to be meaningless. And sometimes something small is actually enormous.

Like with my little splinter, we have to find the courage to ply the needle. Are we clinging to something insignificant in the past and no longer worthy of our attention? Is it time to move on?

Or is there something which has assumed a life of its own and which must be dealt with before real life can continue?

Life flows on. Don’t let a little splinter hold you back.