Thrive on the details, to enjoy immensely the details you notice, was last week’s Laws of Attraction tip.
An interesting thing happens when one decides to enjoy and act on the seemingly inconsequential details they notice: Much bigger things stop from becoming issues or problems. Take the example of the New York Police Department.
“The New York Police Department’s resources were hard-pressed fighting major crimes like murder, arson, extortion… But they undertook a small-details oriented policy shift: More attention on the petty issues pushing everyday life in the city….’guality-of-life’ crimes.” The result: “Paying attention to petty crime made the city more attractive to live in and also dramatically reduced major crime.”
How did it work that way? Like this. One of the petty crimes they started paying attention to was subway turnstile jumpers–people who would jump the turnstily instead of paying the 25-cent fee. Very petty, right. Spending valuable police time arresting someone for evading a 25-cent subway fee. Except that when the police made the arrest, they also ran the fingerprints against outstanding crimes. And guess what. A lot of the petty crime turnstile dodgers were also wanted for much more serious offenses. Word spread quickly, and the subway became a safer and more attractive place, as did the rest of the city.
We all know individuals who deliberately and continuously “push the envelope” or “test the limits” of rules, laws, policies. In some circles, such behavior is encouraged and rewarded. Schools and and bullies come to mind. How do you feel about such behavior? A detail to pay attention to, or not? Something to nip in the bud, or ignore? What bigger problems could be avoided or elimated by paying attention to the details?
This week’s law of Attraction is Tolerate Nothing. When we put up with something, it costs us. And unnecessary costs are unattractive. What are you tolerating? And what unnecessary costs are you adding to your life? To join Saturday’s call, register here and get a Tolerations Worksheet to get you started.