Matt Bird and his wife Pat are deeply involved in their local community in Thailand.
Matt just told me that Pat has spent days helping her neighbours with the rice harvest.
By hand.
No machines in sight.
Just people in a field working together. Bending. Cutting. Gathering.
A rhythm of effort that hasn’t changed for generations.
Matt explained how it was hot, slow and not surprisingly hard work.
Then he said something that stuck with me. ‘It’s quicker to eat it than it is to pick it.’
It made me stop. Imagine spending hours gathering something that disappears in minutes once it reaches the table.
So many things in our lives arrive ready-made. We miss the effort that sits behind the ease.
Do you think about the hotel worker who has serviced hundreds of rooms? Or just want yours to be perfect.
The chef who has been prepping veg since early morning, so you can grab a quick lunch.
The colleague who does the groundwork so others can shine in the meeting.
The partner who quietly sorts a hundred little things that make your day smoother.
The delivery driver who’s up against targets (especially this month) to ensure you get your package.
The parent who stays up late at night so the children wake up smiling
Most of us never see the bending, cutting, gathering and shaking. We only see the finished plate.
Take a moment to look at the rice before you take a bite.
Notice the hidden labour.
Notice the people behind the scenes.
Notice the kindness, skill and effort that smooth your day long before you show up.
And if you happen to be the one doing the equivalent of bending in the field this week, take a moment for yourself.
Your work matters even when nobody is watching.
Be Brilliant!
Michael
Update on invisible hats. Last week I wrote about an idea I’ve had to support two amazing charities by buying an Invisible Hat. My goal was to raise £1000 and with your generosity, we’ve already smashed that.
I’ll give a full update in next week’s newsletter but for now, if you’d like to read more, just visit www.InvisibleHat.co.uk .
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