Everyday Canvas

That Single Step

Prompt: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Lao-tzu
What is your take on this saying? How much importance do you attach to the beginnings and completions of anything?

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Opportunities for us sometimes arise on their own and sometimes we search for them ourselves. After we grasp that opportunity, that we start or take that single step shows the hope in us for the future. Afterward, each step becomes important because it adds to the preceding ones. This turns each step, each new day, into something to look forward to with excitement and anticipation.

In the smorgasbord of life, the best and the most worthwhile opportunities are the ones we create for ourselves since consciously or subconsciously we are aware of our own needs and we are solely responsible for our own mental, emotional, and spiritual maturation. What we venture to do can be anything or everything, but the most important endeavor is personal growth and development, which doesn’t necessarily mean reaching a state of perfection, as one lifetime is never enough for that, but it means learning and enjoying every step in the journey.

Some journeys may take forever because there is no end to personal growth. Others, like learning a craft, may have a goal or a completion. The idea is not to hesitate in taking that first step but forge ahead with optimism and continue taking steps until our steps turn into miles. This may be some difficult work, but to handle and carry its enormous load, we must begin and continue step by step to gain a sense of satisfaction and to enjoy the lasting values of our efforts. This way, each time we meet a new challenge with hope, we can turn that journey into a creative and magnificent adventure.

As for me, I am a work in progress the same as all the smaller things I do. Having a goal or a completion, in the beginning, may encourage some people to continue on, but to me, nothing really is complete or perfect. So after I start with something, I keep taking steps forever.