Quote of the Day: Charles F. Kettering on Daily Inspiration

We often believe that problems are a sign we’re doing something wrong, that if we were smarter, more prepared, more talented, life would finally smooth out. But progress has never worked like that. Charles F. Kettering hands us a more optimistic truth: friction is evidence of forward motion. “Problems are the price of progress. Don’t bring me anything but trouble. Good news weakens me.”

Read it as an emotional reframe: trouble isn’t a verdict, it’s a receipt. If you’re building anything that matters, a career, a relationship, a healthier body, you are purchasing a new level of reality, and reality comes with obstacles included. The question shifts from “Why is this hard?” to “What is this hard thing trying to teach me?” That shift alone lowers panic and raises agency.

Then take the managerial edge seriously. “Don’t bring me anything but trouble” isn’t a love of chaos; it’s a filter for signal. Good news can be vague, self-congratulatory, and safe. Trouble is specific. It points to a bottleneck, a weak assumption, a missing skill. If you want momentum, build a practice of bringing yourself one honest problem per day, named clearly, sized accurately, and paired with the next action. That’s leadership in its most practical form: creating clarity, not comfort.

Charles F. Kettering earned the right to talk this way. He helped invent the electric starter that transformed the automobile from a risky chore into a modern convenience, and as a longtime General Motors executive, he shaped industrial R&D into a disciplined engine of innovation.

Today, choose one “trouble” you’ve been avoiding: a conversation, a backlog item, a health appointment, a budget line. Write it down, define the smallest test you can run in 20 minutes, and do it before lunch, then record what you learned. May you treat resistance as your compass and let resilience carry you into the work that makes you stronger.