When I was in the 4th grade, I had a teacher named Mrs. Dyson. No she didn’t make vacuum cleaners. But she did make me crazy. She used to say one phrase over and over. I’d go to her desk with a math problem and she’d inevitability ask, “How do you eat an elephant?” and I’d have to answer, “One bite at a time” before she’d break it down into tiny pieces and walk me though the first step. It was a cadence that we had to say all the time. I used to hate that. Can’t you just help me without making me repeat your stupid sayings?
However, as I got older, every time something overwhelmed me, I’d take a deep breath and say, “One bite at a time” before attacking the problem. It took a lot of pressure off and helped me focus on the first step rather than the whole problem at once.
I guess she wasn’t totally crazy and MAYBE she permanently changed my life for the better. Not that I’d give her the credit.
So, when you get stressed and everything seems out of your control or your problem is too big for you, just ask yourself, “How do you eat an elephant?”
It’ll surprise you.
