A project that has a deadline looming, a road trip that’s been planned or even spur of the moment, starting a new job. All of those require an action of taking a step and moving forward. Moving forward to the final destination, moving forward and clocking in for the first time, and moving forward and typing that first paragraph of the 1,500-word essay. Regardless of the task, the only way to go from thought to goal achieved is to move forward and start. The thought of the reward at the end of the journey should catapult us into starting, and for some it does but a lot it stymies us into delays.
Moving forward can be the most difficult direction to head, for numerous reasons. Some of those reasons are valid but some are excuses veiled as reasons. We tell ourselves we aren’t prepared, need to do this before we can do that, and afraid because we don’t know what lies down the road ahead. The fear of the unknown will have looking back more comfortable than moving forward. In some cases, going in reverse than progressing forward into the unknown.
Many experiences we pass on out of fear can rob us of experiences of a lifetime. It doesn’t have to be as extreme as skydiving, it could be simple as joining a new fitness group. Have you ever had the intention of getting up doing something good for the community by volunteering? You and your friends had planned it and talked about doing it, only the night before things came up and they couldn’t make it. So now you would have to go it alone, and your initial thought was to back out yourself even though you don’t have any legitimate reason other than being afraid of going alone. That’s when taking that first step is important, so you double check and sure enough it’s still on and get dressed. Then you are out your down and driving over to the community center. You park, don’t see any signs, or any other people, and you think well I’m saved I’m going home. Then that inner self says check on the other side of the building, you go over and through a cracked door you hear people talking, and sure enough that’s the group. You take that next step enter, and all of the fear and anxiety you had about going alone is out the door. Not only do you feel much better afterwards by giving back you actually met some new people and can’t wait to come back next month. That was all by taking that first step.
Haters, fear, and self-doubt hold us in place like cement. It takes that inner sledge hammer to break free of those strong holds and say “Enough! It’s now or never!” Moving forward is not easy when it requires us to step out of our comfort zone. Staying where we are being comfortable it’s the status quo, it doesn’t rock the boat. Whether its financial gains, leaving that job you’ve peaked and plateaued at for years, getting that new hair doo, if you are not moving forward you are dying in place. Who can make that change? Who can get you started in a new direction?
You can but you first have to recognize something is not right, acknowledge the glitch in the Matrix and unplug. Then you take action and move forward, a nail isn’t going to hammer itself, you can look at a screw and hold the screwdriver all you want, but until you apply pressure and put your hand in motion its worthless. Going into action is the step. It’s where premise meets providence, its where meditation meets motion. Break loose of those strongholds of self-doubt and negative thinking and embrace the unknown. You will never make the shots you don’t take and will never hit the homerun on the pitch you don’t swing at.
When do you step out on faith? When do you take that next step? How do you know when you are ready? The answers to those is when you stop thinking and start living. The direction you move is up to you. In these trying times its definitely easy to succumb to fear and stay where we are at. When has it not been trying times? When has there not been precautions we had to make? That doesn’t mean don’t be callus and care free, it means that you are not going to let negative thinking prohibit you from positive living.
Leave a Reply