Ralph Knows What’s UP.

When we moved overseas there was a time when every single thing was a struggle. We failed at something every day. Whether it was learning how to drive on the other side of the road, how to use the washing machine or something as simple as where to buy groceries, everything was hard and there was failure everywhere and when there are too many days in a row of feeling like a failure, it can start to mess with your head!

“Finish every day and be done with it.” Emerson’s quote is proof that these feelings and anxieties have afflicted the human spirit for a long time. Do not allow your day to be stolen from you by the feelings you have about yesterday! Be done with it! We all tend to struggle here but it is a struggle of the mind and NOT reality. The reality is there is a solution to almost every problem. And most problems are made overly complicated by our sense of anxiety over it. 

Try to sit down. Take a deep breath. Make a cup of tea. See the problem for what it is. If it can be solved by something being done (and most problems can be) then it’s likely not a failed life but rather, simply a failed task. And that is empowering news. Failed tasks usually require nothing more than some time allotted to them and a different approach to tackling them. That is literally it.

Every day after the move, we woke up to new opportunities to meet the struggles of yesterday as well new and unforeseen struggles with which to contend. And every day we grew more confident in our ability to meet the challenge and solve the problems. It didn’t happen overnight, and in fact it was the hardest thing we’ve ever done. But now it feels like we’ve lived here all our lives.  I can so easily recall the feelings of stress and exhaustion of those first months, and yet they feel so strange compared to how routine and easy things have become.

So rest confidently in the idea that you were created with a brain meant to solve problems! And you were gifted with 24 hours a day to do that! And lookie-here! Today is a whole brand spanking new set of 24 hours. Untouched by any sort of failure. So try again. And if it doesn’t work, you’ll unbox 24 more hours and a renewed hunger to solve it tomorrow, and that means anxiety and fretfulness have are of no meaningful use to you. What a relief to know you can show them to the door.