Bismarck resident Dr. Vinod Seth writes a blog that I look on as a great resource for North Dakota as citizens try to develop true health in their lives.  In my favorite posting, Dr. Vinod describes the impact of large-scale regulation on small businesses.  Small is beautiful, he said.  Smallness protects us.

It’s something I’ve been thinking about on several different levels.

Selfishly, I think about my own health, about how much better I feel eating foods I grow or make myself.  I think about how much better they are for me than prepared foods with lots of additives or pesticide-tainted produce.

I also think about my home gym (the family room in my basement where I walk during the winter and dance with my daughters).  I know how much money working out at home saves me because I’ve looked into it.  For a one-income family, smaller–meaning an at-home exercise regimen–really makes more sense.

Smaller is better for the portions I eat.  Smaller is better for impulse-shopping.  Smaller is better for the number of times I go out to eat each month.  Smaller is better for the time I spend watching television.

Statewide, smallness makes sense even on an economic level.  Jude Iverson, executive director for the Garrison Area Improvement Association, said Garrison thrives economically because of its focus on small family owned businesses rather than on bringing in large new industries that will be gone in five years.

North Dakota is full of small towns with small businesses that do great big things.  

On a more personal note I believe that the small things we do are the things that count.  There is power in the smallness of the smiles we give each other, the encouragement, the help and the prayers.  

And on a spiritual note: there may be only a few minutes every day for praying or meditating, for studying or singing, for doing whatever we need to do to worship, but there is power in those small acts, too.  They have a cumulative effect on life.

I echo Dr. Vinod Seth.  Smallness protects us.