Didn’t I just post about difficulties last week?
Yes, yes, I did.
The return to the theme of difficulties was unpremeditated today. I was flipping through a new book of quotes — a combo coloring book and quote book, no less — and discovered this one by Stephen Hawking.
I like the quote for it’s brevity. I like it for the hope it offers. And I like it because Stephen Hawking, a world-renowned physicist diagnosed with a slow-progressing form of ALS, lives out every word of what he said each day of his life.
Each one of us wakes up every day and faces our own personal difficulties, large and small. And yet, as Hawking says, there is always something we can succeed at. Sometimes when I’m talking with a friend who is having a tough day, I remind them to “just do the next thing” rather than thinking about all the To Dos waiting for them in the days lined up in front of them. Sometimes I need to be reminded of the “just do the next thing” truth myself.
Success doesn’t have to be grand … it can be the next small step forward in the face of whatever difficulty you need to get around, over, under, or through.
In Your Words: What “something” have you succeeded at in the midst of your difficulties?
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Comments 6
The most valuable success in the midst of crisis lies in not saying that which we would most like to say.
Author
Andrew: Once again, you provide an insightful truth. Sometimes by being silent we prove ourselves most wise.
In the midst of my current difficulty, giving myself permission to rest is success. It’s so hard not be DOING, and letting others DO for me. Saying yes to rest is okay. And that’s my success right now.
Author
Jeanne: I love how you turned today’s topic on its head and reminded us that sometimes success is not doing something — or anything at all. Yes, rest, my friend. Recover.
Just do the next thing is my mantra when I’m overwhelmed. I love that quote.
Author
Pat: I love that quote, too. My husband often reminds me to just do the next thing.