The Math of Movement
Does a thousand miles equate with a thousand steps?
If we're talking numbers, the answer is simple: not even close.
A thousand steps could only get you around your neighborhood, maybe to the corner store and back.
A thousand miles is a cross-country adventure, possibly a journey that would take you from London to Rome.
But math only tells part of the story. Sometimes the hardest mile is the one that happens in our head. The distance between "I can't" and "I'll try."
Given the most important step is the first one, even if it's just getting out of bed on a difficult morning, crossing the distance takes more than just murmuring to myself that "I will try!".
There needs to be something more substantial, and this something is akin to a flimsy quality that we rarely talk about openly, which is the willingness to be uncomfortable with not knowing how things will turn out.
Some call it faith.
I personally try to see it from the point of view of curiosity, as in what happens if I just keep moving forward, even when there's no known destination?
Of course, it doesn't always work. If it did, I'd be much further ahead on reaching the thousandth mile.
Journey Of Epic Discovery
It doesn't always take having a sixth sense to understand most worthwhile journeys are categorically long, even those that happen within the confines of our daily routines.
How far do I have to travel to stay healthy, mentally and physically?
Granted, health isn't necessarily a journey per se, since it's more like tending a garden.
You just have to do the work like it's meant to be done. Some days you water, some days you weed, some days you just sit and watch what grows.
But I think the metaphor holds because both require consistency and patience over speed and perfection.
Sticking to a one-step-at-a-time approach pairs perfectly with building habits that last, where staying on the path day after day gives better results than chasing quick wins or big leaps that fizzle out.
But you also have to experiment beyond just incremental progress, lest you get stuck in a rut and miss out on new opportunities.
This is especially true given the nature of modernity, in terms of how fast things change with technology.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," the saying goes.
Living in a world with a superficial layer centered around easy and short journeys, i.e grabbing instant gratification cheap thrills.
This saying could just as well remind us that beneath the superficial layer we're immersed in, we're also actually on an epic adventure of discovery where putting one foot in front of the other to get going is much more rewarding and sustainable than trying to sprint toward mirages that usually dissolve when we reach them. Say, does more money really buy more happiness?
At least, that's a narrative I'm trying to live by. First, commit to showing up and taking that one step. Then, let each step teach me something about the next one.
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