Pearls for Annie
STARTING
Starting is half the battle. There are difficult things that need doing. In our mind we know what we must do. We carry this knowledge in our head; yet, oftentimes it just stays there in our thoughts, hounding us, keeping us from enjoying other things. Perhaps it is fear of failure that keeps us from acting, or perhaps we fear getting hurt or that we might have to give up some comfort. So, we may do nothing. The need to act does not go away. It is still in our head, this idea that cries for birth. What do we do? We begin. A little step is taken at first. We sense that there is progress, and it gives us cause to take the next step. We gain some strength and direction from each step. Soon our steps grow surer and quicken. The journey is set. With each step we draw nearer our goal. The first step toward a particular objective has to be taken. It is the most difficult one, but each step that follows will be easier. From time to time we move backward, but the overall direction is toward the goal. We fall. We get up and are less likely to fall again. We learn from our mistakes and are thus more prepared for the next step. The very act of doing gives us greater strength, more knowledge; we are better able to see the path. The very act of doing changes us in a way that we are better able to meet our objective in knowing what works and what does not. We become shapers of our environment, molding it in a way that will increase our chances of success. This can only happen through action, and every action must have a beginning. Soon the objective is reached, and we are the better for having taken the journey. As a matter of fact, the important thing was the journey and not having reached the objective, for the journey has changed us so that the next trip toward some other objective will be easier. It is the act of living that matters, not reaching objectives. We learn. We grow. We become better prepared to deal with life. We gain a clearer vision of what life is all about. So let each step build on the one before and set the stage for the next step in the ongoing journey of life, each step giving birth to the next. Take the first step, Annie!