Use your non-dominant hand. That was today’s challenge, and I just might make it an everyday event.

As I picked up a pencil in my left hand, I stood over a sheet of blank paper and waited for a word.

“Try.”

Drawing the block letters was fairly simple—probably more forgiving than if I had tried to form letters in my normal cursive or printing style. I simply took my time and thought hard about corners, curves, and end points.

Coloring was another matter.

The first few back-and-forth strokes were awkward, but fun. But before long, I got tired and frustrated. Tempted to change hands, I spoke sternly to myself out loud. “Keep going. It’s just a quick experiment.”

The time and focus required to stay within the lines were far greater than my right hand would have demanded. But these minutes gave me time to think about opportunities to try a little harder. Reach a little higher. Stretch a little wider.

Good lesson.