The Morning Step
The Morning Step with Kwame Kuadey. One minute. One thought. One step forward. Every morning, Kwame delivers a single dose of wisdom, inspiration, and reflection to help older adults navigate retirement and live their next chapter with purpose. Drawing from philosophy, psychology, history, faith, science, and literature, each episode gives you one insight and one small, achievable step to carry into your day. Free. Daily. Just for you.
The Morning Step
Episode 4: The Space Between
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A powerful insight from Viktor Frankl reminds us that while we cannot control every situation we face, we can choose how we respond. Sometimes growth begins in the quiet pause between what happens and what we decide to do next.
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Near the end of World War II, psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl reflected on a truth he had witnessed even in the harshest conditions imaginable.
He famously wrote that between stimulus and response, there is a space—and in that space lies our freedom to choose.
It’s a simple idea, but a powerful one.
Each day brings moments we did not plan: a frustrating letter, an aching body, a misunderstanding with someone we care about, or simply a morning that feels heavier than usual. These moments are the stimulus—the things that arrive without our permission.
But Frankl’s insight reminds us that we still have something valuable: the ability to choose our response.
Often that choice appears in a small pause. A breath. A few seconds before reacting.
In retirement and in everyday life, that pause can change the tone of a conversation, soften frustration, or help us respond with patience instead of impulse.
It doesn’t remove the difficulty, but it restores a sense of calm control.
Reflection:
When something frustrating happens today, what might change if you simply paused for a moment before responding?
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