Everyday First Step

One of the myths of attaining a goal is that the action of stepping at the beginning of the journey is different from the middle, or even the last step. Stepping is the same, wherever you are on the journey. When I believe the action within the journey is different, my way of seeing is cloudy at best. I'll often get stuck in a plateau and give up walking because I don't "feel" a change. At the beginning of my goal, if I believe that drastic change will happen just by walking a few short steps - I'll be up for disappointment, and I'll most likely give up.

At the start, much of what hurts me is my way of thinking:

I believe the journey will be easy.

I believe the journey should be fast.

I believe I’ll magically attain what I'm seeking.

I believe that tomorrow will be the day of arrival - when, in fact, it could be next year - or even longer.

This is all mythical thinking. It’s absolutely untrue. It’s what derails us!

In fact, this way of thinking destroys any chance of success. It’s what makes us put off tomorrow what we could actually accomplish today.

And there’s another way of thinking that unhinges us. We may believe that the action to accomplish a goal is absolutely impossible. A simple step won’t help me travel one thousand miles!

So…

Why start now?

Why even try?

What’s the point?

I can’t change.

When we see our heroes in the real world (especially in athletics), we often witness their last step. We see success, joy, triumph, and their life lived to the fullest. That’s where we want to be – what we desire to become. We want to arrive without going on a journey.

When someone attains a goal, it’s what we don’t see that’s important.

Here’s a secret that I think we all know, but choose not to observe. On a journey of a thousand miles – the actual first step is virtually the same as the very last step on this journey. A person will have changed through the course of a journey, but the movement that he or she makes in the actual step is the same movement as when he started. I think this is one of the keys. It’s a tool that everyone possesses, but rarely applies.

Here is what I’m trying to say:

First step. Beginning. More steps. Mile One. More steps. Mile seven. More steps. Mile 156. More steps. Mile 642. More steps. Mile 999. More steps. Step step step.

SAME ACTIONS – different location.

Transformation through walking.

It's no wonder that people call following Christ a walk. The great mystery of God is that, by grace, we are loved as we are - we've arrived! But at the same time, God refines us as we move forward to become more like Him (the walking definition and incarnation of love.) I learn to be content in life from His love - but I'm a thousand miles away from where I need to be to become anything like Him. But I'm taking a step forward.

Today, I'm gonna take my everyday first step - in regards to God and other areas of my life. And I'm not going to worry about arriving...

Have a great day!

Jer