The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
Lao Tzu
I was talking to a lovely woman who attended one of my classes. She told me she had made a lot of changes, a little at a time.
That’s how it’s done! Small baby steps forward and, sometimes, a baby step or two backwards. But, it doesn’t matter as long as there are more forward steps than backward steps in our journey.
I meet so many people, these days, who are completely discouraged about reaching their dreams. They view their dreams as a tiny, far away, speck which they can hardly see. They begin to think it is an impossible journey to reach their dreams. It’s true, it is an impossible journey to go from where they are today and suddenly, tomorrow, find themselves living the life of their dreams.
It would be an impossible road trip to drive from California to New York in one day. But, if you drove a little ways every day you’d eventually find yourself there.
Our dreams are like any other journey. First we have to plan for the trip asking ourselves, “Where am I now and where do I want to be?” Next we have to pack for the trip. We need to pack our determination our skills and plenty of courage, we’ll be needing them along the way. Then, at some point, we must journey forward bravely leaving behind the familiar and safe.
The woman I met had plans for her journey. She knew she wanted to become a more confident and skilled woman. She was in the process of packing for her life journey by filling herself with all the skills the trip would take.
I know, without a doubt, that in a very short time, she will marvel at the woman she has become. Her excitement will carry her forward to even bigger and scarier territory.
Maybe, down the road, she’ll even discover that no journey is an impossible journey. Every where we want to go in our lives is just a short journey tacked on to another short journey and another until we arrive. Of course, once we arrive at the original destination we’re so excited about the beauty of the journey and our possibilities that we invariably set out on another journey.
Here’s to you and your life journeys, all of them possible!
While there is certain truth in this first step metaphor, I also think Lao Tzu would counsel not to set one’s course for too far away. We each have a natural way about us and the point is to bring out the genuine you, not strive to be someone else or desire “things” beyond the horizon.
By: The Rambling Taoist on July 16, 2009
at 11:31 pm
I like what you said about bringing out the “natural you.” Yes, I agree about looking to who you are right now and making small changes which will enhance your life and the lives of others around you.
When we look too far it seems too unreal for us to reach our goals. That doesn’t mean that over time we can’t make significant changes from being the person we are today to being the person we dream of becoming.
The “natural me” used to be shy and withdrawn and beat down by life. The “new natural me” loves people and life and is jazzed up just to be alive!
It took time, patience and lots of trial and error to get from version then to version now. Life is about learning to love the natural you that you are right now while you are striving to become a new version.
Your rambling is beautiful, keep up the journey.
JM
By: 2transform on July 20, 2009
at 3:37 pm