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A Journey Of One Inch


Success is not a place at which one arrives but rather the spirit with which one undertakes and continues the journey. ~Alex Noble

Embarking on a new adventure is always scary. I can remain in the same old rut because it seems to feel safe, however; a rut is not comforting at all! Soon becomes so stale it stinks and I want to be free, which, in turn, begins to cause me great anxiety.

I always need a big boost to help me jump out of it! If someone starts pushing me, the shock is so strong, I begin to panic, and then resist. This year, in many areas of my life (as some of you have read in my parenting posts), has been about continuous movement towards my goals, but not necessarily running there. I know the term “baby steps” is becoming cliché (and God forbid I use a cliché according to my old English teacher), yet it describes my intent so clearly. Instead of remaining inert, like I often do, I pride myself in making little, tiny, changes, which will eventually lead me to where I want to go without stopping.

To some, these changes do not come fast enough, and I often get flack for being so slow; yet, what I know for sure is I must block out the outside world at times in order to allow myself little successes which with eventually lead to BIG successes. (Something I teach my ADHD son).

Because too often: I stop! I quit! I give up! I do not want to do that anymore. There are too many projects, desires, wants, needs, goals and STUFF! I have put on the backburner allowing them to burn out and disappear… Yet do these goals really disappear? My answer is no. These unmet goals gnaw at my conscious and subconscious mind and at my soul only to give me this feeling of restlessness and anxiety. I feel guilty, ashamed, and not so proud of myself.

Therefore, 2011 is all about achieving dreams I have dreamt, goals I have set, and projects I have started. It is all about the trip I am taking! I am a big advocate of quality and not quantity! This enables me to slip into something new and different without loosing focus.

Do we have to adapt to change quickly at times: Yes! That is for sure. Yet, when it comes to the things I can control, I can give myself all the opportunities to follow though, to finish and to remain on track through this journey of mine!

Take a minute to read this poem:

A Spiritual Journey

And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles,
no matter how long,
but only by a spiritual journey,
a journey of one inch,
very arduous and humbling and joyful,
by which we arrive at the ground at our feet,
and learn to be at home.

~ Wendell Berry ~

How do you adapt to change? What steps do you take to reach your goals? Leave a comment and let’s start a conversation.

5 thoughts on “A Journey Of One Inch”

  1. I jump right in. I love change, I even crave it at times. It keeps things interesting, for me. I enjoy planning for something new or different in my day to day routine.

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  2. Cool! I’m slowly working towards that. There are times when I can jump right in, and at other’s I get very scared and must take my time…

    🙂

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  4. I think easing into it helps me deal with change. Especially when I am the one making the changes. When I want to quickly change something, it’s tough for me to make that commitment and stick with it…. So in taking my time, in some situations, I can make little changes and stick with them.

    That way, I get a boost of feeling empowered, and I am proud of myself. Instead of the yucky feeling when I give up… does that make sense?

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