Do Something -- Writer's Poke #392

The problem with life is figuring out how each day fits into the big picture. After all, just how much can anyone accomplish in just one day? It often seems so trivial. This morning, for example, I checked-in on my two online classes; then, I went to the coffee shop to read some philosophy. From here, I will go to the gym. In the afternoon, I plan to watch a movie, and then it will be time to pick up my daughter from preschool, make dinner, spend time with my family, and go to bed.

Honestly, today is and will continue to be a great day. Everything I’m doing, even watching the movie, has a specific purpose. I am being “productive,” “healthy,” and “responsible.” All good things, yes? But at the same time, it all looks so mundane. So normal. And, in some respects, so “blah.” That’s it? That’s my day?

But that’s how life works. You live day-by-day, and each day can be a step in the right direction, or it can be nothing. Today, for me, is a step in the right direction, but I have to remind myself that it is a step, because to be truthful, it sometimes feels more like “nothing.”

Consider for a moment what nothing actually is. Nothing is staying in bed and sleeping the day away. Nothing is surfing the Internet for hours. Nothing is watching meaningless television shows. Those are examples of “a whole lot of nothing,” and it’s very easy to get sucked into the void of doing nothing, especially when the daily steps can feel like standing in place.

Just keep in mind what doing nothing truly means, and don't let the small daily steps get you down. You have the ability to move forward. You just need to decide where you want to go, and don’t let the fact that the process required to reach your destination is incremental rather than immediate. If you want to go somewhere, though, you have to do something. That matters.

What do you want to do today? What’s stopping you?

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do." -- Helen Keller

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