It's a Cinch By the Inch

Sometimes I get overwhelmed when I see the size of a challenge looming before me.

I remember being in Denver with Jen a few years ago & looking out the windows of a hotel-top restaurant. Off in the distance, we could see the Rocky Mountains skirting the edge of the city. They seemed surreal, but their magnitude was obvious and undeniable.

In the same way, the challenges I face often seem to lurk just outside the limits of my ability, staring down at me with an I-dare-you-to-try-and-defeat-me posture. In those moments, I am all too keenly aware of my humanity with all of its faults and flaws, weaknesses and failures.

But somewhere along the line of life, someone asked me one of the 5 most-important questions I've ever been asked: "How do you eat an elephant?"

The simplicity of the answer is eclipsed only by the depth of its truth: "One bite at a time."

I didn't see that coming!

This truth has helped me keep my sanity & fight off discouragement during those difficult seasons of life. It has provided me with some perspective that has brought the majestic mountains of challenge down to a manageable size... Every great journey is conquered one step at a time!

I can take the next step... In fact, the next step is the only one I can take. And once I've taken it, the sting of intimidation is replaced by the soothing sense of satisfaction, which has--as an added bonus--the infusing energy of hunger to take the next step. And the cycle repeats.

The next thing I know, I'm well on my way to accomplishing something that seemed impossible before I took that first step.

So, instead of focusing on the daunting challenge, I just focus on the next step... & it's a cinch by the inch!