One Pen, Three Problems 🎲
“He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes himself is mighty.” — Lao Tzu
“Grab a pen. Write down three stressors in your life. Big ones, little ones, doesn’t matter. For each, identify whether the stressor is within your control, outside of it, or partially controllable. For each one, devise one actionable step to address each source of stress in alignment with this insight. Nothing fancy. Just one step forward.”
I remember that night. Restless. Wired. Slumped over my kitchen table, gripping a half-empty coffee mug like it held the answers.
My mind was a neon carnival, flashing with every unresolved thought.
Bills. Deadlines. Random anxieties clawing for attention.
No off switch. No way to tell the real threats from the imagined ones.
Frustrated, I grabbed a pen. Scribbled down every stressor circling my head. No overthinking. Just ink hitting paper.
Something shifted.
The noise dimmed. A moment of stillness, like the hush before a storm. And there it was—a crude but clear roadmap.
Some problems were fixable. Some were beyond me. Others were negotiable.
But all of them were named. Seen. No longer a tangled mess of dread.
That was the trick. Writing them down forced order into the chaos. Gave me ground to stand on. Stress thrives in the abstract. Drag it into the concrete, and suddenly, you have something to work with.
Carve out a few minutes right now.
Grab any scrap of paper. Write down your top three stress triggers.
Next to each, note whether you have direct control, partial control, or zero control over it. Then choose one small act to address each.
Maybe you make one phone call. Maybe you draft an email. Maybe you decide you’ve done enough and let it rest.
Keep it straightforward.
The point is to move from anxious paralysis to incremental progress.
“He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes himself is mighty.”— Lao Tzu
Is there a particular stressor that’s been hounding you? Did you find out it was more manageable than it seemed, or did you see it was outside your scope entirely?
I’d love to hear about what you discovered when you listed yours. Share a line or two, or jump into the conversation with a longer story.
Your observations might spark insights for someone else.
You hold more power than you realize.
Sorting your stressors can reveal where you stand in the grand hierarchical structure of choice and acceptance. When you spot what’s within your authority, you can shape it.
When you recognize what lies outside, you can decide whether to let go or find a way to adapt. This is the essence of responsible living.
Chaos lurks at the edges, but each thoughtful step restores a bit of order.
Keep writing. Keep sorting.
Keep stepping forward, one act at a time.
Stay strong. You’ve got this.
— Ryan Puusaari