The Next Right Thing

My niece and I went to see Frozen 2 on Friday. I’m happy to report that we both gave it a thumbs up and declared that we would see it again if asked. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so I won’t write much about the film, but I will say this: It wasn’t a typical Disney love story.

In one scene that is uncharacteristic of other Disney films I’ve seen, one of the characters has a total crisis of belief and sings one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. For anyone who has ever battled with grief, depression, anxiety, or any other dark night of the soul, the song captures the truth that we have inevitably discovered: All we can really do in life is the next right thing—take one right step at a time—not try to look so far into the future that we become overwhelmed by the reality that we see nothing—not try to look so far into the future that we become overwhelmed by the possibilities of what could go wrong (or right).

As the song in the movie says:

“Just do the next right thing
Take a step, step again
It is all that I can to do
The next right thing

I won't look too far ahead
It's too much for me to take
But break it down to this next breath, this next step
This next choice is one that I can make

So I'll walk through this night
Stumbling blindly toward the light
And do the next right thing
And with the dawn what comes then?
When it's clear that everything will never be the same again
Then I'll make the choice to hear that voice
And do the next right thing…”

I have a sign in my room that says, “Dee says, ‘One step at a time.’” It’s my footprints from 1st grade. My students sometimes ask me about the footprints. I tell them what they are and they are fascinated that I had feet when I was younger 😊.

I doubt any of them will ever realize the significance not of me having feet when I was younger but of the message that I am trying to send them every time they enter my classroom, but I can hope: One step at a time, dear students. One step at a time. Don’t try to speed up your childhood. But don’t try to slow it down either. Move forward with purpose—knowing that there is a future to come. But move forward deliberately—always trying to do the next right thing. And if it turns out that you made a mistake, don’t worry and fret—simply start from where you are and do the NEXT right thing.

You can do it, dear student. You can do it, dear friends. We can do it together…this next right thing.