“Man stumbles over pebbles, but never over mountains.”
(Proverb often attributed to Marilyn French, American writer)
What challenges us? What holds us back? What brings out our resolve, our better side, our ability to endure?
Often when a major tragedy strikes, as the Colorado wildfires which are ravaging lives, or a hurricane washes away years of dreams, we find ourselves filled with tremendous inner strength. When we see others survive these events, we’re amazed by their capacity to “keep calm and carry on” as the UK government used to say in WWII.
When you ask these folks how they managed, almost every one will say: “I had no choice. I just… had to.” Sometimes when a challenge is so enormous, the overwhelming stakes leave us no choice but to become the best version of ourselves. When we have to make it over the mountain, we just start climbing.
I think it’s often the little things that trip us up the most. Indeed, it’s the pebbles of everyday experience that we overlook and can bring us to our knees. A creeping negativity, a bit of gossip, a little too much to drink the night before, a traffic jam that puts us 15 minutes late for a meeting. All of these things can combine to bring us quite low.
Much like the New York City teams which paint over graffiti and fix broken windows to prevent areas from becoming derelict and crime infested, we should maintain our minds. If we are mindful of the irritating pebbles in our lives, and develop strategies to cope with them as they arise, we will improve our outlook, feel more empathy for others, and manage anger more effectively.
Perhaps if we mind the pebbles, the mountains will ultimately be easier to climb when they come.
With this in mind, I’d also like to remind you that in two weeks we’ll be releasing the Collected Scott’s Thoughts ebook, filled with inspiration and strategies you can use to “mind the pebbles” and live a more fulfilling life. If you’d like to reserve the option to buy a copy at a 50% discount, just click the link below to be added to the pre-release list:
http://www.tuesdaytactics.com/pre-register-for-the-upcoming-scotts-thoughts-ebook/
Until next week!
Photo credit: szeke
