Slight Edge Living By Olan Hendrix   Louis A. Allen once said, "history's greatest achievements have been by people who excelled over the masses in their field only slightly". What insight! This thinking provides hope for those of us who have much to learn, much to do and many skills to develop. If I can't read an entire book today perhaps I can read one chapter, or even a few pages. If I can't return all my telephone calls perhaps I can at least return the three most important ones. If I can't do everything at least I can do something.   We all know the paralysis that can result when facing a crushing load of work. It is painful just to think about it, let alone trying to do it. In fact, thinking about it for too long might be the worst thing we can do. It is best to simply identify a small part and do something, however small. You have heard that the longest journey begins with a single step. William James said, "do the thing and the power will be given to you". Slight Edge Thinking Slight edge thinking does not come naturally. We instinctively think negatively. Many people around us influence us to be negative. I greeted a laborer at the complex where I live asking how he was. He replied that he would be better at quitting time when he could go home! What a difference if he had answered that he was fine and glad to have a job. It might seem a small thing to say only positive things, but the cumulative effect can be significant.   It is possible to become sensitive to negative thoughts. When we discover that we are thinking negatively we can take the action necessary to counteract the thinking. This morning as I drove to the airport I found myself smarting at the early hour and the short night. I deliberately began thinking how fortunate I was to be enjoying good health and having work to do. I immediately began feeling better. Feelings follow thinking, just as feelings follow action.   All of this might seem trivial and insignificant. But if I can multiply this kind of experience several times each day it can make a difference out of all proportion to the effort required. Slight Edge Time Control You know that time escapes us in seconds and minutes, not hours. By the same token we make use of time in its fullest in the same way. Anticipation is the key here. We have to prepare for the events of the next hour while doing present work. Here is a simple strategy I tried to teach our children when they were young, often to their dismay. As we turned on to our street returning from a long trip I would tell them to begin planning to unload the car. I would assign each child a specific task. It was my hope that such a simple exercise would teach them how to utilize time in their work. Slight edge time control is as unnatural as slight edge thinking. Slight Edge Work I sat in a fast food restaurant watching a young man clean the tables. He was obviously dedicated to doing his work well. I caught his eye and commended him on his work. He fairly beamed with delight that I had noticed. There is no substitute for the satisfaction of doing work well, even when no one notices. All of us would like to accomplish the monumental tasks that would attract the attention of millions. Most of us will not be allowed that opportunity. But all of us can do well the tasks at hand today. By doing well I don't mean infinitely better, I mean just slightly better.   Part of the difficulty is the confusion of perfection with excellence. Perfection tends to limit us in what we can accomplish. Excellence brings us satisfaction for our efforts. It is not likely that work done poorly or half-heartedly will be rewarding. Work done well more than compensates for tired and weary body and mind.