Sometimes the responsibilities or personal problems we face seem far too great for any human to solve. Or, as my son likes to say, “Mom, you just don’t understand, my problem is ginormous!" I guess the word “enormous” just isn’t sufficient enough to describe life’s tribulations, so the young generation has created a new definition of “huge” in order to get others to understand the magnitude of their issues.
While I don’t anticipate adding the word “ginormous” to my vocabulary anytime soon (I say this cautiously as I swore I would never use “dude” in a sentence either), I can appreciate how easy it is to become completely overwhelmed when facing a problem, no matter what age you are. Yes, life experience helps us learn to not sweat the small stuff, but age doesn’t preclude us from having to face real-life challenges.
When I am facing a complex issue, I remind myself of the saying, “You can’t eat the elephant all at once.” Although I don't know the origin of this phrase, I can easily grasp the concept. There is just no way to conquer a two-ton anything all at once, you can only attempt it one bite at a time.
If we think we have to tackle all the steps at once, we become paralyzed. However, if we can find just one thing that will move us forward, it can truly make a world of difference. Maybe that one thing is as simple as making the first phone call, talking to a friend or coming up with three possible solutions. Maybe it is just waking up and accepting the fact that the elephant is there and isn’t going anywhere until you start eating it!
Perhaps you don’t plan on adding “ginormous” to your favorite word list and the elephant visual is too much. If you can find some phrase or trigger that can remind you to slow down and just take that first step, I promise you will begin to see results.
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