To Begin, Begin.
William Wordsworth offers us a concise statement of wisdom to consider: “To begin, begin.”
Simple, yet profound. The reality is that beginning something, no matter what it is, can be hard. We can easily put barriers in front of us that just seem too high to scale, and prevent us from beginning. And as much as we try to get ahead of everything that life puts before us, sometimes it just seems nearly impossible to do so.
Life is complicated, and there is a never-ending line of demands placed at our doorstep. Always so much to navigate - whether it is contributing our best at work, raising healthy and engaged children, supporting our spouse, helping our parents navigate their senior years, contributing our time within our communities ... and all that plus the never-ending list of what it takes to keep our household humming. No wonder we are stressed, and have no time to think about ourselves.
Well, the old adage rings true here - “there is no time like the present.” And remember, there never will be a perfect time to begin. Life’s complexities and demands will never go away, and it’s so important to make the time that will benefit you and your health. We all want to live for as long as we can, in near perfect health - to enjoy what we do in our thirties and forties well into our seventies and eighties. Why should life be dramatically different as we get older in terms of our physical capabilities? It doesn’t need to be, but if we are not intentional in defining what is important to us and how to achieve it, realizing our dreams may become elusive. As time races by, we end up at the finish line not really knowing how we got there ... and maybe not finishing up in the way we intended.
So again, begin. Begin to think about what is important to you ... mentally and physically. How do you optimize your health and how do you want to show up in this world? What do you want to accomplish? How do you become your healthiest self? What truly makes you happy? These are thoughts that may naturally swirl through your head, because you know how important defining those answers are. But again, you do not find the time to begin. There’s no time in the day to squeeze out a few moments “for me.”
Answering these questions are foundational fundamentals important to your health and longevity. It’s also important to remember that your health is critical to all those that you love and support. Think about the analogy on the airplane ... put the oxygen mask on yourself first. Find your oxygen and breathe deeply. This is when you’re best primed to help those around you. You can't expect to show up for the rest of your world if you neglect yourself.
So back to the beginning. All you need to do is BEGIN. Something. Anywhere. Anything. There’s no time like the present.
One Key Takeaway
We often put road blocks in front of ourselves which keep us from moving forward. Too much to do, and too much to think about. It's important to take something that seems daunting, and make it approachable. Break the task down into steps, and then, all that's left to do is begin. Just start. A little progress every day or every week ... can make a world of difference.