August 16, 2025
Today’s Thought of the Day and Question of the Day line up like a good joke setup and punchline. We’re talking about the courage to go first, and what you’d do if you found yourself wandering lost in the woods. Turns out, both are about trust: trusting yourself enough to take that first step and trusting your instincts when you’re not sure where the path is.
Thought of the Day: Find the guts to go first
Being first is terrifying. It’s easier to hang back, wait for someone else to test the waters, and then follow behind. But the people who go first, whether that’s speaking up in a meeting, admitting they were wrong, or just daring to try something new, end up shaping what happens next.
Think about the first person who decided to eat a lobster. That spiky sea bug doesn’t exactly scream “delicious.” But somebody had the guts to crack it open, and now we’ve got lobster rolls. Or the first person to send an email with an emoticon, pure bravery.
Finding the guts to go first doesn’t mean you’re reckless. It means you trust yourself enough to risk looking foolish for the chance of something worthwhile. And maybe that’s why it matters: because everyone else is secretly hoping somebody will go first.
If you’ve ever wondered how courage shows up in small, everyday ways, I wrote about being brave enough to say goodbye.

Question of the Day: If you got lost in the woods without a map, how would you save yourself?
Today’s Question of the Day: If you got lost in the woods without a map, how would you save yourself? Explore honest and funny answers, and share your survival plan.
Getting lost in the woods is basically life in miniature. There’s no perfect path. You can only look at what you’ve got, light, landmarks, maybe a dead phone, and make the best move forward. Standing still rarely helps.
Some people would try to MacGyver their way out with sticks and moss. Others would sit tight and wait for rescue. Me? I’d probably talk myself into believing I was starring in a wilderness survival show and then immediately trip over a root. But even in that, there’s a lesson: survival isn’t pretty. Survive or die.
This isn’t the first time I’ve thought about finding direction when the map runs out. I touched on a similar theme in now is when it counts and in life finds a way.
Your Turn
So, would you have the guts to go first, or would you rather wait until someone else makes the move? And if the woods swallowed you up, what’s your plan: stay put, pick a path, or make a shelter and hope for the best?
Drop your thoughts in the comments below. And if you want a daily reason to pause, laugh, or think, join the free daily email where I share the Thought of the Day and Question of the Day right in your inbox.