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- Elephants, Bears and Small Bites
One Thing at a Time
They say the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.
My question is, when was the last time "they" tried to eat an elephant? I'll stick with a hamburger.
But the words of wisdom still hold true, regardless of your taste for exotic animals: take it one bite at a time. Too much, and you'll succumb to a different adage made famous by another animal: sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you.
Ok, so is this about zoology, digesting animal protein, or just a bunch of old sayings? None of the above. This is about taking action. Small actions. Micro-steps, as they tend to be called nowadays.
Overwhelmed
It is easy to be overwhelmed with the possibilities of change. We know we need to, but we don't because we don't know where to start. Then we don't know how to start. Then we are unsure when to start.
We become aware of something that needs to change: clean the house, landscape the yard, improve our physical, financial or spiritual health… and 3 hours later we find ourselves dazed and sitting on the couch. The when, where and how all collapse into a shameful and exhausted sigh. Did we psyche ourselves out or just become intimidated by the sheer size and ferocity of the beast we are trying to kill and consume?
Take Small Action
Nothing exists in a vacuum, and no action is completely unrelated to any other action. Our life is made up of constant action and reaction. Our emotional and mental state are the direct result of those actions and reactions.
That is a simple thought we can all chew, swallow and digest.
What is one small action you can take starting today (ok, maybe tomorrow) that would benefit your quality of life?
Reduce your caffeine consumption by 5% a week. (Go from two strong cups daily to 1 strong and don’t finish the second cup)
Step outside and get some sunlight for 5 minutes each morning. (Before checking your phone)
Say "please" and "thank you."
Unsubscribe from one email subscription.
Track your spending.
Go to church.
Use YouTube and IG for learning instead of entertainment. (Start with one topic. One video.)
Go to bed 20 minutes earlier.
Set a regular bedtime.
I know your ultimate goal may be to become the first human being to land on Mars. Go for it. But you have to start somewhere. Because our life is an interrelated chain reaction, we do not always see or understand how one decision negatively or POSITIVELY affects another part of our life. And that's ok. The good thing is changing one area, making one small change, can begin to set off different and better reactions in other areas.
Start small and continue small. Things happen slowly before they happen suddenly.
Suddenly you'll have more energy. Suddenly you'll feel happier. Suddenly your house and yard will look nicer. Suddenly you'll have a new skill or talent. Suddenly you'll have more time.
Suddenly you'll get to the end of the newsletter.