September 26, 2025
Most days, we underestimate ourselves. We think we’re too small, too ordinary, too insignificant for what we do to actually matter. But William James drops a truth bomb that’s easy to forget: Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.
It’s one of those thoughts that can sound like a motivational poster at first glance, something you’d see taped to the breakroom fridge next to the stale donuts. But when you really sit with it, it’s deeper than that.
The Power of the Small Things
Think about the last time someone held a door for you when your arms were full. Or the way a stranger’s smile cut through the fog of a lousy morning. Small things. Almost invisible things. And yet, difference made.
The reverse is true, too. A careless word. A honk of the horn when patience would’ve been better. An eye roll at your kid when they’re just trying to tell you their story for the third time in five minutes. Those actions make ripples as well.
I’ve talked before about how we often wait for the big moments to define us, when really it’s the small daily choices that steer the ship. James’s thought reminds us that none of it is wasted. Every little action adds up.
Choosing to Live Like It Matters
Here’s the catch: most of the time, we don’t feel like what we’re doing matters. Folding laundry for the hundredth time this week. Sitting through another Zoom meeting that should’ve been an email. Picking up toys your kids will just scatter again. It’s exhausting. It feels meaningless.
But here’s the mindset shift James suggests: act as if. Even if you’re not sure. Even if you’re tired. Even if you don’t see the results right away. Act as if your effort counts. Because it does.
That load of laundry? It gives your family a sense of order. That boring meeting? Maybe one person needed to hear the one thing you said. Picking up toys? It shows your kids that caring for the space you live in matters.
I’m not saying this makes chores magical. They still stink. But reframing them as actions that ripple out makes them bearable, and maybe even a little more meaningful.
Living Proof
Think about the people who’ve made the biggest difference in your life. Was it always some grand, sweeping gesture? Or was it the consistency of their kindness? The way they always showed up? The small but steady reminders that you mattered?
That’s the proof. Difference isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s slow, subtle, steady. And you might not even see it until much later.
Which is why acting as if it matters is crucial. Because if you stop, if you let cynicism win, if you decide your daily effort doesn’t count, the ripples stop too.
Bringing It Back Home
Today, James’s words feel like both a challenge and a comfort. The challenge: keep showing up, even when you feel invisible. The comfort: it does matter. Always.
So here’s what I’m carrying with me today: every choice is a chance to create ripples. Act as if. Believe it does. Because it does.
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