Little Foxes

This may be hard to believe, but I just had a thought.  I know, I was quite pleased with myself that I even recognised it.
I was thinking about what can bring me undone.  So often, it is not one big thing that does it, but many little things.  I got really inspired about it, when the accountant me, thought of it in terms he understands.  I imagined starting with say 100.  80 would diminish that to 20.  That could be 80 in one hit, or 16 lots of 5.
My thinking is, that I tend to see one big lot of something coming, and prepare for it, refuse it, and fight it.  If however, it is 16x5, then often I don’t see it, and besides, I can think, what is one, or two.  Before I know it, one or two can be 16, and the same goal has been achieved.
At the moment the Chinese seem to be doing many things (I love the Chinese.  Anyone in power could do this, if they were inclined.  At the moment it is them).  They annexed the South China Sea, they have taken over Tibet, and their companies are buying up large amounts of other countries.  They are also lending lots of money.  It seems a nation indebted to you, will not bite you.  Individually each one of these things is not a lot.  However all put together, they are a lot.
For me personally, when it is one big thing that I object to, I tend to rally my defences and go to war with it.  Many little things that achieve the same purpose, I find harder to see coming.  Often by the time I wake up to it, it is too late.  The world has changed, and I am powerless to do anything about it.  I may not be powerless, but my power is substantially diminished.
Some of the small things though, can be key things.  If it is one small key thing that has got me, all can look well.  Nothing may appear to have changed.  I may look as good as I have ever done (others think I can look good, so I will go with them).  Then things start to look different.  There is decay.  I spend a fair bit of time in the garden, so I think of a plant.  Often taking branches or leaves shows nothing.  However if the trunk is got, then initially all looks well.  In a few weeks though, it is obvious everything is dying.
I suppose it is why in war, taking out one vital thing is seen as important.  In this day and age I reckon it would be internet and phones.  Without these, someone needs to fly blind, and that can be really hard to do.
For me, the only thing I can do, is keep my guard up.  I need to be aware, and on the lookout.  Big things are easy to spot.  However I also need to watch for an accumulation of small things to.  I guess it is the end result I need to keep in mind.