India, Sept. 24 -- We tend to believe our contribution only counts if it is large enough to be noticed. The building of the bridge to Lanka quietly corrects that belief.

As Rama's army of monkeys and bears carried massive boulders to build a bridge across the ocean, a small squirrel began rolling in the sand and shaking pebbles from its fur onto the rocks, trying to help in whatever way it could.

Some mocked its tiny effort as meaningless beside such enormous labour. Rama, noticing this, stopped, picked up the squirrel gently, and stroked its back, declaring that its contribution mattered exactly as much as any boulder carried by the mightiest warrior.

Scale was never the measure. Sincerity of effort was.

We often hold back from helpi...