What Are the Daunting Tasks in Our Lives?
When my writing prompt (you know — that mean ole’ dictionary) turned my attention to the word “daunting,” my first thought was of physical challenges — from marathons to mountain climbing.
I was about to pass over the word, and not write an essay on it. There are other folks who can talk about the joy and pain of earning such magnificent rewards.
Then — as so often happens with my dictionary’s directions — I began to dig deeper. What are the daunting challenges we must take on as a country? As a world? And what can I, as a single soul, do about them?
Here’s what we — the Dictionary and I — came up with:
Daunting: (adj) description of a task which is disheartening
I do not begrudge your ascension of Mount Everest. More power to you.
I’m certainly glad if you hit home runs.
And feel free to win the Heisman Trophy (as long as you don’t kill your wife and her guest.)
But physical achievements are not daunting efforts. As long as you train well, prepare your body and understand the task set before you, you have a fighting chance to achieve your goal and win.
The true daunting tasks are to bring about the peacefulness of the Garden of Eden in a world which is gradually…
