If you’re looking for a little wisdom and a little wonder, you’ve come to the right place. In today’s Thought of the Day and Question of the Day, we’re talking about effort—yours and everyone else’s—and laughter, that beautiful sound we don’t hear nearly enough. We’ll get honest about what it means to support someone (without carrying them), and we’ll ask a question that might tell you more about your life than you expect.
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Thought of the Day: “You cannot push any one up a ladder unless he be willing to climb a little himself.” — Andrew Carnegie
If you’ve ever exhausted yourself trying to help someone who refuses to help themselves, Andrew Carnegie’s words might hit a little too close to home.
I’ve been the guy at the bottom of the ladder, pushing with everything I’ve got, while the person at the top just sits there, sipping iced tea and wondering why things aren’t moving faster. Spoiler: it’s exhausting. And fruitless.
Whether it’s a friend in a rut, a co-worker dragging their feet, or even one of my kids pretending their legs don’t work when it’s time to clean up toys—there’s a fine line between supporting someone and doing the work for them. I’ve had to learn (the hard way) that you can’t force growth, change, or even motivation on someone who’s not ready to take a single step. You can hold the ladder. You can offer encouragement. But you can’t climb for them.
Question of the Day: How often do you laugh on any given day?
Be honest.
Is it once? A few times? Maybe not at all?
I didn’t ask how often you chuckle politely on Zoom or type “lol” when you’re actually just blinking. I mean real laughter. The kind that surprises you. The kind that starts in your stomach and ends with tears in your eyes.
Laughter is one of those things we stop tracking somewhere between childhood and paying bills. But it’s telling. The days I laugh more tend to be the days I’m most connected—with people, with life, with myself. When I go too many days without it, that’s a red flag in my rearview mirror.
So here’s a mini challenge: at the end of today, ask yourself, “Did I laugh?” If not, ask “Why not?” And if the answer involves a certain news cycle, your inbox, or your toddler’s refusal to nap, well… that’s fair. But still. You deserve to laugh. Even if it’s just at how ridiculous the day has been.
If you want more soul-searching like this, you’ll probably appreciate what sound I wait for each Spring or what scares us more at 3 AM than 3 PM.
Your Turn
How often do you laugh?
Have you been trying to push someone up a ladder they’re not ready to climb?
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