Former procrastinators, I’m touching up some earlier blogs to share. This will give me opportunity to deal with some new developments at home. Thank you!
Circus trainers chain a young elephant to a stake in the ground – which holds him in place. As he grows, the elephant develops the strength to easily pull up the stake and take off. However, his mentality continues to be that the stake in the ground holds him down. And so he stays.
Not the elephant’s circumstances, but his thinking holds him back. He believes he is unable to move away. My dad used to say, “’Can’t never could” to point out that thinking we could not do something prevented us from doing it.
This analogy applies to those of us inclined to put things off – especially when we’re overwhelmed or discouraged and feel there’s nothing we can do about a situation.
Ask, “What CAN I do?”
This is a revolutionary question! It results in progress and accomplishment. It removes a sense of helplessness and feeling overwhelmed. This question moves us beyond feelings that might control our thinking.
“What CAN I do?” opens my eyes to see one small thing. Doing that thing usually results in seeing something else I can do. Sometimes doing one small thing releases a log jam and the whole situation opens up.
Faced with a jumbled bedroom, What CAN I do? I can put shoes in the closet. In the office, “What CAN I do?” I can put priority papers on top. In the kitchen, “What CAN I do?” I can put the food away.
What CAN I do in my job search? I can learn how to write a resume. What CAN I do for that missionary? I can email and ask her needs.
Teaching our children to ask “What CAN I do?” develops a great life skill. “I can pick up the Legos.” “I can speak with a kind voice.”
Jesus broke the chains that held us to procrastination. We are not bound to staying where we are.
What CAN you do today in some situation you previously thought left you unable to act?
I can plant flower seeds 🙂
And spread joy!