PEBBLE
Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually, the confidence will follow.
-Carrie Fisher, shared by Brian in Indianapolis, IN
BOULDER
We’re going to have sh*tty days. We’re human. There are days when we just aren’t going to be strong enough to handle all the bullsh*t coming our way. Be angry, let it hurt, but don’t stay there. Take a breath and then pick up your beautiful, wild heart and keep moving.
-Brooke Hampton, shared by Diane in Appleton, WI via The Ripples Convergence
PONDER
One of the bigger and more consistent mistakes we humans make when we’re trying to move forward in life is to overestimate the power of speed and underestimate the power of consistent small steps. As a result we sometimes set a lofty goal and then promptly begin avoiding what seems like an unappealing mountain of effort, remaining frozen in a mix of fear and frustration. We end up letting procrastination rule the roost until “OMG, It is due tomorrow!” or “Oh Well, I guess that wasn’t supposed to happen after all.”
There is a way out! It usually begins when we’re able to identify small, measurable steps that we can take on the most of the good days and even on some of the hard days. The gradual, steady progress we make towards our goals builds our confidence, fuels our motivation, and increases our agility to handle setbacks and detours that we inevitably encounter along the way.
Even when we get on a roll and start making progress, there is no shortage of speedbumps, and even a one day setback can throw us off course and leave us floundering. That’s why the day AFTER a hard day is so important: it’s the best time to hop and and take some steps forward even if they seem too small to make a difference. It’s not the size of these steps that is valuable, it’s the momentum that they can provide.
If there is a habit or a chore or a project that has been on pause, I invite you to accept the challenge offered this week’s Ripples to take a tiny step and then…KEEP MOVING!
Peace,
Paul
