Don't be the schmuck

My father used to tell me, if it was easy, any schmuck would do it. Schmuck being slang for stupid or foolish. For the longest time, I thought he was saying that what I was doing was easy and I was that schmuck. Later in life, I came to realize what he really meant. Life is difficult. Sure some people make it look easy, but they’re just better actors. Every one of us faces difficulties and challenges. It’s tough mastering a skill, starting a business, getting promoted, raising and providing for a family, or even just staying healthy.

Viktor Frankl, the holocaust survivor who wrote Man’s Search for Meaning, talked about the space in your mind between stimulus and response. The space where everything you are and will be become, happens. It’s that space where you choose to be mediocre or great, to be a victim or a winner. Where you decide to do what people say can’t be done and what you believe deep down you know you can do. And yes, to decide that whatever negative thing just happened to you, you will go through it, over it, or around it.

We can’t always control what happens to us. But we always have the choice of how we respond.

So here’s your Action Item and Mission, should you decide to accept it: Facing any tough situations or decisions right now? Life give you a gut punch? Feeling like everything you try is met with an obstacle? Pause in that space before you respond. Decide you will get through, over, or around whatever it is. The space between stimulus and response is your freedom. It is your freedom to choose. Nobody can take that from you. Provide yourself with enough determination, persistence, and grit, and if it’s possible, you will accomplish whatever it is. You can do this. And when you do, write it down so you never forget it. Because one day soon you will be faced with another obstacle. Guaranteed. And like dad said, if it was easy, any schmuck would do it. Dig deep and go get ‘em!

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Remember, one hand washes the other and together they get clean. Thanks for watching. Have a rewarding week. And I’ll see you next time.