A popular podcast I enjoy hosted by Emily P. Freeman is called “The Next Right Thing.” Her topics center around doing the next right thing in love. She readily admits she didn’t come up with this term on her own. Mother Teresa, Anne Lamott, Martin Luther King Jr., and Theodore Roosevelt have their own versions of this advice Emily says. Living my life to make a difference as have these names listed above is an earnest desire. I’ve been thinking about what is means for me to do the next right thing… specifically when I am tired.
What does it mean to do the next right thing when you are tired?
This week I have been tired in my role of mother and housekeeper. As I wiped applesauce off the floor for the second time today (that’s not counting the clean-up in the car- I thought the squeeze pouches were supposed to be mess free), I grumbled to myself something about needing a nap. I did need a nap, and was able to take one while the kids were snoozing. But there were still messes to clean up when I woke up. I had a decision to make: what would my attitude be?
When we are tired, it’s harder to choose the right thing. This is one reason rest is so important. Rest helps us to continue to write our story with fervor and wisdom. Yet, there are times we need to push through our tired feeling and continue moving forward. What then? This is the precise time we need to choose thankfulness. Whether it is listing in bullet point the good you have seen that week or singing a song of praise, thankfulness will guide our perspective to choose the right thing in front of us…. even when tired.
Being about 24 weeks pregnant with two littles at home are two reasons I am tired. However, these are also two amazing reasons to do the next right thing with thankfulness. It’s in the repeated little decisions that our lives are shaped. Our choosing the right thing in little ways has the potential to make a big difference in our lives and the lives of those we love.
Here is to napping, thankfulness, and choosing right even when tired.
-Kassie Selby
