There’s an old song sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Armstrong titled, It Takes Two to Tango. The chorus lyrics read: “Takes two to tango, two to tango / Two to really get the feeling of romance / Let’s do the tango, do the tango / Do the dance of love.” That’s the way it is with happiness. Our happiness increases in direct proportion to the number of people with whom we can share it and who reciprocate it with us. Think about going to a ball game alone. Your team wins an exciting game. The people around you are sharing their joy with their friends, It’s not quite the same as when you have someone with you to share the joy of victory. When I passed my dissertation defense on my way to my doctorate, I called my wife as soon as I got out of the defense meeting. She screamed with joy. We were sharing a happiness moment. Bernard Meltzer had it right when he wrote, “Happiness is like a kiss. You must share it to enjoy it.”
dissertation
Today’s Good Word ~ Start
Start with the tough tasks and the easy ones will fall into place. We all share a defense mechanism where we find something else to do instead of facing the tough tasks. The best way is to start by diving right in. When my students were writing their dissertations, some found it nearly impossible to start writing. I’d tell them I want the first sentence to the first paragraph on the first page. I didn’t care about the quality of the sentence. I wanted to read a sentence. Once the student started with the first sentence, it became easier. It’s true with all the tough tasks we face. Start, do something, anything. The rest follows.
