Put on some comfy shoes...

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

This line comes from the 64th verse of the Tao Te Ching, and is especially moving to me. One doesn't have to plan a trip to go on a journey. Life is the greatest journey of all.

This verse puts things into perspective. Many things can seem overwhelming when looked at as a whole, or projected in the future. But really, the only way to accomplish anything or get anywhere is to take a step. And then another. And another. All we really have to do is focus on the moment at hand.

This could apply to anything and everything in life. I try to bring this mindset into being for my nemesis poses in yoga. Like frog. My immediate reaction to hearing frog called is to get anxious about how long we are going to have to hold it. If I stay present in the moment, I realize that I can approach the pose, breath by breath. Sure my hips scream out, emploring the release. I get distracted with thoughts of "I can't believe he is reading a story, doesn't he realize this is utterably unbearable?" But that's just chatter. Of course the pose is bearable- as long as I take that first step.

A goal of mine is to one day write a book. Seems daunting when I think about it- all the pages, all those words, what to write. But if I take it one day at a time, one word at a time, then it suddenly seems manageable. Just like life.

Sometimes you may be walking alone, other times in company. Not all steps will propel you forward- a step backwards might be what you need to gain a new direction. Some steps may be tiny while others may feel more like a leap. But in the end, they're all steps. Initiated by a single one. Focus on the present and everything is within reach. Life is, afterall, about the journey- not the destination.