A Single Step

A well-known Chinese proverb advises, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Since we can take no more than one step at a time, this wisdom seems self-evident.  If you’ve ever been to Disneyland, you might have noticed how this proverb plays out in real life.

When standing in line for a Disneyland attraction, it’s hard to know how long you’ll be waiting. That’s because the line is almost always arranged so you can’t really tell how long it is, especially from the back.  I’ve waited for an hour and a half to board one of the boats on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.  Had I realized that when I first stood in line I might have chosen not to wait.

It is our attitude towards our lifetime journey of a thousand miles that makes all the difference.

Could I walk from Los Angeles to New York?  I’m not even going to calculate how many steps that might take, because I would be discouraged and give up before I started.  When I walk my 8,000 steps each day, I begin with the first step, and resist the temptation to do the math.  The first step out of 8,000 seems trivial, next to nothing, and yet…

That first step, joined by a second and a third, gets me . . . well, not even half way across my bedroom in the morning.  And yet, add up all of the steps I’ve taken in my lifetime, and there would be enough to carry me around the world more than once.

We can plan our lives for the next fifty years.  But we can live our lives just one step at a time.

A member of the Manhattan Chess Club once won a game against a renowned grandmaster.

“Your opponent is reputed to think fifteen or twenty moves in advance.  Is that what you did to beat him?”

“No, I only think one move at a time.  But I try to make it the best possible move.”

We can only take one step at a time.  Make it a good one.

Alan