Beginnings Matter
“The beginning is the most important part of the work.” – Plato
Because without the beginning, there’s nothing. (And the beginning often sets the stage for the rest of the task/project/journey.)
When in doubt, begin.
Everybody’s heard the saying “That which does not kill you makes you stronger,” Nietzsche I believe said it, or something very similar. It’s wrong though, or at least woefully incomplete. (Or, it’s incomplete in the way we use the words these days.) Nowadays people think that if bad stuff happens to you, you get stronger….
“Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth.” – Ludwig Börne Sometimes the most powerful skill is knowing what to take away, what not to do. We tend to focus on what we must do,or add or expand. But what if the best thing we can do is stop doing something, or delete…
In a way, life – and success – is simple. When you’re clear about what you want – and it’s what you deeply, truly, authentically, want – and you have a flexible, iterative and properly supported learning process for moving towards your goals* all you need do is the work. The day-in/day-out work. And that is easy enough if…
“And still, after all this time, the Sun has never said to the Earth,‘You owe me.’ Look what happens with love like that. It lights up the sky.” – Rumi We all have at least one “Sun” in our lives. Who is it for you? Let them know, by word and deed.
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. – Epicurus I would tweak the above and say: instead of craving what you don’t have, set goals based on your best guess of what else you might want…