Posts Tagged: aspiration vs. perspiration

“Broad and Aspirational, or Specific and Perspirational?”

“I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time.” (Charles Dickens, https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/diligence-quotes)

For several years now, I have been doing daily affirmations to begin my day. Here was yesterday’s affirmation:

Today, with God’s help and the help of a lot of good people, I am putting one foot in front of the other in the direction of the man that I think God wants me to be.

However, in today’s report, I wrote, “I didn’t do super well with this one, I think. Perhaps it was a bit too broad and aspirational, rather than specific and perspirational.”

It’s good to have broad and healthy aspirations for ourselves, but when it comes right down to it, it comes right down to doing the right thing right now. The specific word, attitude, and/or action for the eternal NOW is where it’s going on.

And, of course, this involves perspiration. My spell checker doesn’t seem to think that “perspirational” is a word. However, I am adding it in my living vocabulary for today. Therefore, here is my perspirational affirmation for today:

Today, I will:

  • finish this report and send it,
  • work out physically,
  • grade the rest of the assignments that have been turned in by students,
  • act in a loving and helpful way toward my wife,
  • write and post on my website, and
  • study Spanish.

Not very inspirational, perhaps, but the perspiration is definitely there!

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