"You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

Dudley sat on his couch, hazily staring at the ceiling as he held an inspirational quote card he’d found crammed between his couch cushions:

"You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

He read it a few times, nodding as if the words were speaking directly to him, even if he did need a moment to keep the words straight. "Yeah… yeah, Dudley Bud!" he said to himself. "I am stronger than I think!"

He took a deep breath, feeling an overwhelming urge to prove his bravery to… well, himself, he guessed.

The first test of strength? Moving the impossibly heavy recliner across the living room—about six feet from the TV, tops. With newfound confidence, Dudley planted his feet, crouched like a pro weightlifter, and grabbed the armrests. As he pulled, he made an oddly heroic face (in his head he looked like a superhero, but in reality he resembled a guy deeply regretting spicy nachos).

The recliner didn’t budge. " Aw Man "

"Come on, Dudley. Braver than you believe!" he muttered to himself, straining harder. After a moment, he noticed his hand had just barely shifted the fabric… and immediately lost his grip, sending him stumbling backward. He landed right on his butt. He paused, glancing down, only to realize he had managed to rip the pocket of his jeans instead. “A sign of progress,” he muttered optimistically.

Next test: bravery. Dudley remembered the front door had a creaky hinge he’d been meaning to fix. Never one to shy away from a challenge, he grabbed a random assortment of tools (only to realize he didn’t actually know how to fix a door hinge). But bravery! He just had to try! Dudley approached the door, armed with a hammer, some duct tape, and what might have been an antique pickle fork.

The door creaked ominously as Dudley stared it down. “Today,” he declared, “you get fixed. I am Dudley the Brave.” He positioned himself to hammer in… well, something.

Unfortunately, with his clumsy swing, he managed to hit not the hinge, not even the door—just his own thumb. BAM.

“Ow! Braver, stronger, smarter… ow!” he said, cradling his poor thumb while wincing, though still feeling vaguely heroic.

Now for the final test—smarts. He’d ordered an overly ambitious 3D puzzle last week, determined that this would be his masterpiece of the week. But the instructions were… well, they were long, full of tiny pieces and steps that seemed designed for a mastermind, not Dudley Bud.

Bravely ignoring the directions, Dudley instead decided he’d just start sticking pieces together in “what felt like the right order.”

After twenty minutes and a questionable amount of tape, he had a… well, it wasn’t anything close to the picture on the box, but it was a triumph in its own way. A lopsided, duct-taped, leaning creation, absolutely defying the laws of both physics and patience.

With a sigh, Dudley stood back to admire his work. “Braver than I believe, stronger than I seem, and smarter than I think,” he muttered to himself, squinting as his masterpiece leaned… and promptly fell apart.

Well, maybe not braver, or stronger, or smarter. But one thing was for sure: he was having a great time trying. 

Deliberate practice is the key Dudley thought