Endorsements
There is no more reliable voice today tha n Emily P. Freeman. Her consistency and faith have moved and changed me over and over again. The Next Right Thing is exactly thatthe next right thing for you to read, for Emily to write, and for us all to live by. Im so thankful this book exists.
Annie F. Downs, bestselling author of Days To Brave and Remember God
The Next Right Thing enlightened me, brought awareness, and gave me tools I didnt realize were missing in my decision-making. Emily points us to ultimate peace and clarity in our lives in the midst of uncertainty and chaos by gently pulling our focus back to the One who gives them.
Candace Cameron Bure, actress, producer, and New York Times bestselling author
This book will leave you with confidence, wisdom, intention, and a perspective shift about the big and small decisions in your life. Reading The Next Right Thing is your next right decision.
Myquillyn Smith, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Cozy Minimalist Home
Emily has a gift for speaking into light things that are already true in most of us but are often dimmed by the clouds of busyness. Her words are a must-read in my own life, and Im so grateful to call her a friend.
Tsh Oxenreider, author of At Home in the World
Emily P. Freeman is the real deal. She is wise, a trusted guide, and prepared with just the words you need to hear at the moment you need to hear them. If you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed or are longing for a revitalizing perspective on decision-making that is both practical and life-changing, then The Next Right Thing is the book you have been searching for.
Mandy Arioto, president and CEO of MOPS International
Like all of Emilys writing, this book is both insightful and practical. It teaches us that life is to be lived, not figured out. And the way we live it is one brave choice at a time.
Jeff Goins, bestselling author of The Art of Work
Emily P. Freemans voice is gentle yet mighty, and Im obsessed with every word of this quiet masterpiece. We all find ourselves in times of transition, aching for a final decision, and its easy to force the finish line. Emily kindly and confidently invites us to a new path where the finish line is secondary. Ill never make decisions the same way again.
Kendra Adachi, founder of The Lazy Genius Collective
The Next Right Thing is a book you can go back to again and again, and each time it will hit you in a new and fresh way. If you struggle to make decisions, if youre in the midst of a big life change, if youd just love some quiet guidance to be more intentional with your days, and/or if you love Emilys writing and podcast, this book is for you!
Crystal Paine, New York Times bestselling author, founder of MoneySavingMom.com, and host of The Crystal Paine Show
Reading Emily P. Freeman, I start to believe Jesuss promise morethat his yoke is easy and his burden light. The Next Right Thing delivers us from anxious hand-wringing over our uncertain futures.
Jen Pollock Michel, author of Surprised by Paradox
Relatable, actionable, and inspiring, Emilys words will take you deeper into the process of graciously taking your next step.
Alan and Gem Fadling, founders of Unhurried Living
Emily has become my decision-making guide. In this book she offers deep wisdom that is easily applied to everyday life. Emily shows us that the next right thing is not only possible but also desirable. This book is both timely and timeless.
James Bryan Smith, author of The Good and Beautiful God
We live in a time with a crippling, overwhelming number of options and decisions to make. Emily offers a practical guide for discerning the next right thing in the big and small moments of life. I am so grateful for this book!
Jordan Raynor, bestselling author of Called to Create
Title Page
Copyright Page
2019 by Emily P. Freeman
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.revellbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2019
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-1901-2
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB), copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations labeled Message are from THE MESSAGE, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.
The author is represented by Alive Literary Agency, 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, www.aliveliterary.com.
Dedication
For anyone whos ever made a pro/con list in the middle of the night.
Contents
![Picture 1](/uploads/posts/book/243889/Image00007.gif)
Cover
Endorsements
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
1. Do the Next Right Thing
2. Become a Soul Minimalist
3. Name the Narrative
4. Picture God
5. Look for Arrows
6. Be a Beginner
7. Ask This Question before Every Hard Decision
8. Know What You Want More
9. Make the Most Important List
10. Quit Something
11. Stay in Today
12. Be Where You Are
13. Dont Rush Clarity
14. Stop Collecting Gurus
16. Choose Your Absence
17. Find a No Mentor
18. Dont Give Your Critic Words
19. Come Home to Yourself
20. Pick What You Like
21. Wear Better Pants
22. Walk into a Room
23. Expect to Be Surprised
24. Wait with Hope
Acknowledgments
Notes
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
one
Do the Next Right Thing
![Picture 2](/uploads/posts/book/243889/Image00007.gif)
Most of us go through life praying a little, planning a little, jockeying for position, hoping but never being quite certain of anything, and always secretly afraid that we will miss the way.
A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy
T he admissions building smells like initiative, angst, and Y2K. I stand at the entrance of my college alma mater just a few miles from my house and take a long, deep breath. What am I even doing? The question still lingers even though my decision is mostly made. The main desk sits in the center of the building, a large circular piece like a mouth wide open. Approaching the desk, I scan the room for familiar faces, glad when I see none. Im not ready for a casual, small-talk conversation about why Im here. The woman inside the eternal desk offers to help, and I tell her I would like a copy of my transcript. She gets to work, and I settle in a bit.
The one question people ask when they find out I am enrolling in grad school is why. Its a normal question, one I would ask you, too, if you told me the same thing. Why are you going back to school? This is the question that has kept me up at night for weeks while I made my decision. Why would I want to do this? I have a job, a family, a full life already. This will take lots of time and lots of money, and what is the actual point? Its the question that begged for an answer while I tried to decide what to do next. I didnt have a clear plan with bullet points, a job I wanted to get that required this degree, or even the cultural expectation you have when you decide to go to college the first time because thats just what you do. At my age, going to school again is not just what you do. As I weighed this decision, I annoyed everyone around me. Or maybe I just annoyed myself. Sometimes its hard for me to tell the difference.