Cherish every step

 (Originally published 17 March 2013)

Last night I shared a dear Spark Friend's posting in my comments on another Spark Friend's blog. ROSALIEESTHER's words had affected me deeply when she posted them on our Babysteps Brigade team on 2/28, and I recalled that I wanted to share them with others in a blog. So here I am, and these are her words:

"I've been thinking a lot lately about the baby part of baby steps. Seems to me that we need to learn to embrace each step we make just as we would a baby's step. Wouldn't we make much of a baby learning to walk? Wouldn't we be gentle and full of admiration even if that baby faltered and fell?

Let's see ourselves with kind and loving eyes. Let's allow ourselves to take the time it takes to make progress. In the grand scheme of things we are all babies."

I shared her post on my other 2 main teams, and several people responded favorably to the themes of being gentle with ourselves and celebrating all victories, no matter how small. Yet one of the thoughts that I found so profound was the advice to "allow ourselves to take the time it takes to make progress."

I think many of us who are seeking to improve ourselves, to heal, to adopt healthier lifestyle, can get impatient. We want to shed the weight or get rid of all the clutter or get out of debt or find the right relationship NOW. We may try to rush the results and take shortcuts, but find we can't maintain our progress, and can end up sliding way back near or past where we began.

Or we are so focused on reaching that goal—that perfect place in the future—that we force ourselves to do activities we don't enjoy and eat foods we don't like, and we forget to have fun and enjoy life, being too grimly determined to reach THERE, when we might find ourselves acceptable and worthy of love.

Some of you may be familiar with the oft-quoted Chinese adage "A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step." I recently heard a different translation to the effect of 'a journey of 1000 miles begins with the ground beneath your feet'—which I took to mean the journey begins with where you are.

If we are to succeed in reaching our goals, whatever they may be for each of us, I think it is very important to acknowledge where we are at each stage. Rather than trying to rush forward as fast as we can, really ponder the lessons and opportunities at every stage along the way. Be open to the unexpected delights and miracles. And rather than cursing or resenting the detours and delays, discover the wisdom and beauty that may be hiding behind the "setback" which can only be found when you pay attention to where you are standing right NOW.

So thank you again, Spark Friend, for saying just what I needed a hear a few weeks ago. I wish each of us great joy, awesome discoveries, and much success along our collective and individual journeys—however long they may be.

Blessed Be, Amanda