We don’t need the whole world on the first day

December 11, 2018 11:03 AM

We wake up with aspirations of grandeur. Thinking we can come right out of the gate and blast past our edge.

Which is a commendable mindset. But we have to be honest with our own limits. We have to ask if we’re merely impressing ourselves with a temporary surge of ambition. We have to wonder if we’re unwilling to accept the sometimes slow process of change.

Recovery programs teach addicts to look for small, slow changes rather than big, dramatic ones. To seek satisfaction through the measurable progress through small victories.

It’s a lesson all of us need to learn. How to pull back on the reins of our ambition. How to trust the grace of a patient universe. And how to gently open the door to change.

Here are a few mantras that have been useful for me:

We don’t have to fight all of our battles today.

We don’t have to tackle all our problems at once.

We don’t have to understand everything immediately.

We don’t have to fire all our weapons simultaneously.

We don’t have to change everything in our lives right now.

We don’t need to get it perfect on our first attempt.

It’s humbling and time consuming and requires more patience than we’re used to.

But then again, we’re here to express, not impress.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Are you creating real, sustainable change, or building a monument to a rare burst of enthusiasm?

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