Captain Michael: WORK THE PROBLEM
There’s something I like about the word work.
It doesn’t promise victory.
It doesn’t say:
Solve the
WORK THE PROBLEM
There’s something I like about the word work.
It doesn’t promise victory.
It doesn’t say:
Solve the problem.
Beat the problem.
Make the problem disappear.
It simply says:
Work it.
That leaves room for reality.
Some problems are solved in five minutes.
Some take five years.
Some change shape while you’re working them.
And some never get solved quite the way you hoped.
But you can still work them well.
This week we’ve talked about seeing reality clearly.
Taking the next useful action.
Changing the plan when it isn’t working.
Preparing before trouble arrives.
Finding the real problem instead of attacking the symptom.
Using what you have.
Asking for help.
And finally, accepting that even good decisions don’t guarantee good outcomes.
None of that promises success.
It promises something else:
A way to conduct yourself while the outcome is still uncertain.
Maybe that’s what the Stoics were really offering.
Not a formula for making life cooperate.
A way of meeting life when it doesn’t.
There have been times at sea when I had no idea whether what we were doing would ultimately work.
But standing there worrying about the ending wasn’t useful.
There was still something that needed doing.
So we did it.
Then the next thing.
And the next.
That’s perseverance—but not blind stubbornness.
It’s the willingness to stay engaged with reality.
To learn.
To adjust.
To keep putting your hands back on the problem.
And sometimes, after you’ve done everything you reasonably can, to say:
That’s enough for now. Carry on.
The problem may not be finished.
Neither are you.
Stay with it.
Work the problem.
#WorkTheProblem, #Stoicism, #StoicWisdom, #Perseverance, #Resilience, #Character, #LifeWellLived, #SeekingAWellLivedLife, #CrypTok
Captain Michael: WORK THE PROBLEM There’s something I like about the word work. It doesn’t promise victory. It doesn’t say: Solve the pro
WORK THE PROBLEM There’s something I like about the word work. It doesn’t promise victory. It doesn’t say: Solve the problem. Beat the problem. Make the problem disappear. It simply says: Work it. That leaves room for reality. Some problems are solved in five minutes. Some take five years. Some change shape while you’re working them. And some never get solved quite the way you hoped. But you can still work them well. This week we’ve talked about seeing reality clearly. Taking the next useful action. Changing the plan when it isn’t working. Preparing before trouble arrives. Finding the real problem instead of attacking the symptom. Using what you have. Asking for help. And finally, accepting that even good decisions don’t guarantee good outcomes. None of that promises success. It promises something else: A way to conduct yourself while the outcome is still uncertain. Maybe that’s what the Stoics were really offering. Not a formula for making life cooperate. A way of meeting life when it doesn’t. There have been times at sea when I had no idea whether what we were doing would ultimately work. But standing there worrying about the ending wasn’t useful. There was still something that needed doing. So we did it. Then the next thing. And the next. That’s perseverance—but not blind stubbornness. It’s the willingness to stay engaged with reality. To learn. To adjust. To keep putting your hands back on the problem. And sometimes, after you’ve done everything you reasonably can, to say: That’s enough for now. Carry on. The problem may not be finished. Neither are you. Stay with it. Work the problem. #WorkTheProblem, #Stoicism, #StoicWisdom, #Perseverance, #Resilience, #Character, #LifeWellLived, #SeekingAWellLivedLife, #CrypTok
WORK THE PROBLEM There’s something I like about the word work. It doesn’t promise victory. It doesn’t say: Solve the problem. Beat the problem. Make the problem disappear. It simply says: Work it. That leaves room for reality. Some problems are solved in five minutes. Some take five years. Some change shape while you’re working them. And some never get solved quite the way you hoped. But you can still work them well. This week we’ve talked about seeing reality clearly. Taking the next useful action. Changing the plan when it isn’t working. Preparing before trouble arrives. Finding the real problem instead of attacking the symptom. Using what you have. Asking for help. And finally, accepting that even good decisions don’t guarantee good outcomes. None of that promises success. It promises something else: A way to conduct yourself while the outcome is still uncertain. Maybe that’s what the Stoics were really offering. Not a formula for making life cooperate. A way of meeting life when it doesn’t. There have been times at sea when I had no idea whether what we were doing would ultimately work. But standing there worrying about the ending wasn’t useful. There was still something that needed doing. So we did it. Then the next thing. And the next. That’s perseverance—but not blind stubbornness. It’s the willingness to stay engaged with reality. To learn. To adjust. To keep putting your hands back on the problem. And sometimes, after you’ve done everything you reasonably can, to say: That’s enough for now. Carry on. The problem may not be finished. Neither are you. Stay with it. Work the problem. #WorkTheProblem, #Stoicism, #StoicWisdom, #Perseverance, #Resilience, #Character, #LifeWellLived, #SeekingAWellLivedLife, #CrypTok
