Three Things Thursday No. 13: Unlikely Advice
Hi there!
Welcome to the 13th edition of Three Things Thursday, wherein we talk about advice from an animated movie and questions about homeschooling.
But first, how are you holding up? This is such a strange time. I hope you are staying healthy and have everything you need. My thoughts are with each of you.
In the meantime, I just had my mind blown by… wait for it… a cartoon. I know. If you had told me last week that I would be sharing a life lesson that I learned from watching a Disney movie, I would have laughed out loud. Scoffed, even.
But that’s exactly what I am about to do.
Disney just launched Frozen 2 to its streaming platform three months early as a gesture towards those who are home bound during this crisis. We watched the movie as a family and found it surprisingly timely and with fantastic life lessons.
In the movie, when Anna finds herself alone and in a position of deep despair, the conclusion she comes to is that when you can’t see the future and don’t know what to do, you just have to do the “next right thing.”
Of course we had to pause the movie and talk about how true and sure this advice was – not only for when you don’t know what the future holds, but for anytime. Even in our daily work we have moments of doubt or fear, and of course in those moments we need to just do the next right thing.
But if you think about it, even if we know exactly what we are doing, we still are just doing the next right thing—we just don’t think about it. This advice is one of the best things you could ever heed and a guide you could use every minute of every day for every situation you could ever be in. If you were going to have a personal mantra, this would be a good choice.
Let’s break it down.
Thing 1: Just do the next right thing
The reason that do is such an important word here is the call to action. Often when we are stuck or afraid, we become paralyzed. In saner moments, we know that to change our reality we have to make changes—which means taking action. On top of that, action brings clarity; when we take action, we are able to see what is working and what is not working – we see more possibilities or create opportunities. In those times when we are afraid or unsure, the most important thing we can do is to take action.
Thing 2: Just do the next right thing
In times of trouble when we can’t see the future (or are stuck in catastrophizing the worst possible future), it’s important to narrow our focus down to the very next step, nothing more. That way we can keep taking steps forward without becoming paralyzed. Instead of standing on a dangerous precipice and considering jumping off, we’re just taking one step at a time on the trail. Steady progress. Before we know it, we’ve traversed a great distance without even realizing it. Not that there isn’t fear, but the smaller the step, the more manageable that fear is.
Thing 3: Just do the next right thing
So, action is critical and having a narrow focus is helpful, but it is also important that the action we take is thoughtful. When we act purely from fear or panic or any heightened emotional state, we’re not making considered choices that are going to get us closer to where we want to go. Instead we’re just running around in circles; as ineffective as Chicken Little.
To know what the right thing is, it helps to breathe and find a stillness inside. Even just a couple of deep breaths and an inward focus can bring a state of calm. Or if you need more, do more – meditation, prayer, visualization, hiking, quilting, weeding the garden. It doesn’t matter how you do it. Just get to that place of inner quiet and then ask for guidance. You can ask your inner self, that “still, quiet voice” inside, or you can ask God or any other source that you trust in that moment. Then you will know what the next right thing is.
Yes, it’s one of those “you’ll know it when you know it” kind of situations. I’m sorry. But some things you can watch for are a shock of recognition, goosebumps, an up-welling of love or just a feeling of clear certainty. If you are still and quiet with an open heart and connection to something bigger than you (whether divine or earthbound), you will know what your next step is.
So: breathe. Listen. Trust yourself. You can do this.
That’s it!
Today it’s all about taking a deep breath and just doing the next right thing. For me that’s focusing on self-care, keeping things light for my family and continuing to move forward one step at a time. What is it for you?
Comment below and let me know, or come find me on Facebook or Instagram!
Much love,
P.S. Because I am a homeschooling mom and my oldest is in high school, I’m getting questions from families who are looking at homeschooling as an option while schools nationwide are closing for extended periods. The most common question is, “What curriculum should I use?” but the answer to that depends on a lot of things such as what you hope to accomplish, what you want to get out of the experience, what you want out of a curriculum or resource, your parenting style, your teaching style and the dynamic between you and your child/student. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to answer questions! I’ve tried all kinds of things during my tenure as a homeschooling parent and I’m happy to answer questions. If this is something that you are curious about, go ahead and leave a comment below and I will answer everyone’s questions in an upcoming newsletter.
