What are YOU waiting for?

photo "Twinkie" by curioush.etsy.com

What is that ONE thing you want to do or be in life that trumps all other goals? Are you visualizing it now? Doesn't it seem like it would be the ultimate culmination of your life's dreams? But how to get there?

I've been in this place many times for many different things and I may obsess over a particular goal for a few days, spending hours online looking up information and making plans and lists on paper. By the time I'm done plotting all the ins and outs, I'm exhausted and I realize that I don't think I have the energy to cover the necessary distance after all. I also start to second-guess myself and wonder if my plan will actually work or not. I'm the type of person that likes to think long and hard about something before taking the plunge and if I don't have all the answers...I may get scared and back away. Move on to safer ground.

But then, if I don't take at least one step forward, what did I accomplish? I've just wasted several days of my life turning over every available stone looking for answers, only to find myself frozen to the ground. It would almost have been better if I hadn't bothered doing the research at all. Then I could have used that time doing something more productive.

Now, sometimes, when faced with a big challenge or decision, we HAVE to do our research and what we find may lead us in another direction. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, it is SMART to thoroughly research anything that could drastically change our lives (for better or worse). But if the only thing holding us back is fear of the unknown, that's another story.

It's one thing to look at a road map to see where you want to go. It's quite another to actually drive down those roads. The map is only meant to be a guide. It's not going to show you every sign, rock and restaurant...or pothole or detour along the way. But, if you really, really want to get to your destination, are you going to let the "unknowns" stop you?

It's the same way in life, when it comes to reaching our biggest goals. If you woke up one day and decided to walk across America, would you expect to do it all in one day? No. You would do it a few miles at a time. How do you walk a mile? One STEP at a time. I know it may sound cliché, but it really is the most important thing to remember when you're trying to get somewhere and it seems so far away. If you're halfway through and getting tired, look back at how far you've come. If you haven't started yet...what are you waiting for?

-Shalom-