The Next Right Thing

Growing up, I really didn’t spend much time contemplating my purpose in life or seeking a relationship with a higher power. That’s not to say that I was an individual possessed by a demonic spirit living life like a wrecking ball, actively destroying the lives’ of others; rather that like most younger folk, I was somewhat unsure of how I fit into the grand scheme of things and pretty caught up in my daily activities.  Having days filled by school, sports, and fun times with friends with a heavy emphasis on having fun, my time expenditures never seemed to be prioritized correctly! Regardless, I thought I’d spend a little time in this post putting it out there to the universe (I realize that may be a bit grandiose of a way to describe this blog’s readership…lol) that I think I may have finally found a purpose that I can wrap my head around. Although I may not be in possession of a secret manual or even a grandiose mission statement for my life, I think just doing “the next right thing” may be all that I need to worry about!

I’ll admit this is not a concept that I came up with on my own, rather something that’s heard quite often in recovery communities. As someone who can fall prey to perfectionistic thinking, or more accurately “all or nothing” thinking, where I tend to self-sabotage or give up when encountering diffuculty this concept can present a challenge. While I’m certainly not an English scholar, which is evident after perusing my scholastic records, to me the word “the” seems to signify something singular. When combined with the word right, “the” seems to carry with it the ultimate black or white/good or bad/right or wrong classifying power. Perhaps “a next right” would work better to avoid the angst of trying to decipher the one action to take or be a failure, possibly sliding into a paralysis by analysis scenario.

The internal skeptic in my brain is already shouting, ”There you go, settling for less again. Everyone knows ‘Good is the enemy of great!’.” I will acknowledge this argument holds some weight if you’re constantly finding it necessary to justify actions by making comparisons to extreme alternatives, or habitually choosing the easier softer road. After all; “It was only half of the container, not the entire gallon” or “But I wrote my name on the paper, it’s not like I didn’t even start the assignment” can be easy forms of self-justification to slide into. But what happens when this way of thinking delays, or worse yet even, prevents action(s) which will be helpful to another person?

Wow: It seems there’s no easy answer. Thankfully, I’ve been led by some important people in my life to foster a relationship with God to develop an internal compass to guide my actions. Even though I don’t do it perfectly and always find room for improvement, I’m happy with my progress. As long I continue to do “a next right thing”, I believe things will always be ok!