Stick With It

“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” – Albert Einstein

One thing I have taught my students every year in my math class is how to stick with something that is hard. It is easy to see a difficult problem and just give up. Just like with math, real life is very similar. One of the best ways to solve a problem is to give it time. We expect difficult problems to be solved right away, but the truth is it takes time. We want all of our issues to be solved quickly, but sometimes they need time for a good solution to develop. Oftentimes we will choose the easiest solution to do it, but that might not be the best solution. Just because it’s quick doesn’t mean it’s the best way.

Last year I was able to go on the trip of a lifetime. We took a cruise around the Inside Passage of Alaska. The first stop that we made was Juneau. We didn’t have anything planned for this stop. We spent the day exploring the town, window shopping, and checking out the amazing views. Juneau is one of the most unique of all the U.S. state capitols. It is the largest state capital by area. It is also the only state capital not connected to any other city by road. Even the capital of Hawaii is connected to other cities by road. The only way to get to Juneau is by boat or plane. We had a great time walking around the city, and I would love to go back.