Choose your Stones Wisely
Creating your forcefield
“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”
— John Wooden
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From the flowing waters of rural Minnesota’s Jewett Creek to the way up in the cold, fast-moving mountain streams of the Alps, there’s a small creature with a big trick.
Caddisfly larvae are small and fragile; they are constantly pushed by the stream’s currents, so they build a layer of protective armor. Since they don’t have a naturally occurring protective coating, they rely on the environment around them. The larvae pick up tiny stones from the riverbed and create a little shield around them.
Their strength comes from what’s around them.
Without knowing what we are looking for, we probably wouldn’t even see the larvae. The pebbles, grit, and debris allow them to survive the current. That’s a lot like us. We can be as tough as we want in order to survive, but we need the world around us to help us thrive.
We’re always moving through currents—stress, expectations, noise, pressure, unfair criticism, the daily rush. We can’t necessarily slow the river. We can, however, choose what we surround ourselves with.
Our “tiny stones” are the things we need in life to keep us whole.
They’re the habits and relationships that give us stability:
A friend who checks in.
A daily walk.
A moment of reflection before the day begins.
A book that grows you.
A good night’s sleep.
A routine that grounds your mind.
Exercise, gratitude, coaching mentors, meaningful conversations.
Time spent in stillness, resting, or simply breathing.
They may seem like tiny stones, and individually, they might not look like much. But when you stack them together, they form our forcefield.
When life feels overwhelming, many of us will search for that one big solution.
Oftentimes, it’s actually much simpler than that; we’re saved by the small things repeated over time.
We can surround ourselves with people and practices that protect our energy, or the currents of life can pull us downstream—comparison, negativity, busyness, unrealistic expectations.
Our strength comes from what we choose to build around us. And we likely already have the stones we need.
We just have to start picking them up.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
— Jim Rohn
Connecting this quote to the story. The people closest to us are the “stones” we surround ourselves with, either strengthening our protection in life’s currents or weakening it, so choose with intention!
This week’s Chasing Influence tip: Choose your stones wisely. Surround yourself with people and practices that strengthen you, not those that drain you.