"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  That bit of wisdom comes to us courtesy of Chinese philosopher and wise man, Lao Tsu.

 

What do you think moved him to say such a thing?  Well, I'm guessing people in ancient China weren't too different from people today.  And what do you and I do when we're faced with a seemingly unachievable goal or overwhelming task like a journey of a thousand miles on foot? 

 

Do we concentrate on how much we want to get there?  Do we let our minds dwell on how great it'll be when we reach the goal and make the dream real?  Or is our focus on something else?

 

Here's how I figure it went.  Lao Tsu would coach somebody.  They'd get all excited about a possibility.  All would be good and then they'd be stopped in their tracks by the killer question.

 

"How am I ever gonna do that?  A thousand miles ... on foot?  Little old me?  In the face of all that uncertainty and multiple obstacles?  Who am I kidding?  It's impossible."

 

The dream would have faced immediate extinction right then and there if Lao Tsu hadn't reminded the person to just take the first step and trust that the next step along the way will reveal itself.

 

When you focus on what you want and why you want it, you're golden.  How ... well, that's a different story.

 

What typically happens when you focus on how you're going to get somewhere that seems hard to reach? Discouragement.  Disillusionment.  Defeat. 

 

We just aren't creative enough to be able to imagine all the particular whos, whats, wheres, and whens that make up the how to feel confident that it can be done.  The path beyond the first few steps is dark.  And if we can't see how we're going to get to where we want to go, most of us just give up.  That's a mistake ... one that can make all the difference between having the life you want and coming up short.

 

Here's the first key point.  That goal that seems impossible usually isn't.

 

Do you think that if you challenged someone to run three and a half times around the circumference of the earth, he'd say, "Sure, no problem.  When do I start?'  Hardly.

 

And yet, there's a man that goes by the name of Raven who's been running eight miles a day on Miami Beach every single day for the last 29 years.  He's logged about 85,000 miles.  That's about three and a half trips around the world.  It started with a single run and the intention to continue.

 

The other key point is that you're not responsible for figuring out how.  Your job is to hold the vision and expect that what you've asked for will be given.  Your job is to get into the right mindset and emotional alignment that allows good things to happen.  Your job is not to make things happen as much as it is to simply let go of resistance.  And fretting over how it's all going to work out is the biggest producer of resistance there is.

 

It's better to just think, "Things always work out for me."

 

Now, please understand, it's against my nature to do that.  Whenever I think of what I want, my linear, analytical personality immediately goes into devising how I'm going to get it.  And, if it seems too hard, I can easily say, "Well, this is never going to happen," which shuts down attraction big time! 

 

I want a plan.  I want to see a clear path.  I don't like uncertainty.

 

But I'm learning that if I just let go and let flow I get much better results.  Having to know how I'll get from point A to point Z only intimidates, limits, and burdens.

 

Case in point: Following significant injuries last summer, it looked as if I wouldn't be able to compete in the 2010 figure competition season.  My goal was Masters Nationals, the Olympics of my sport.

 

But how was I ever going to be able to compete with my joints so sore?  How was I going to be able to lift weights on a rigorous schedule?  When I thought about the how, it seemed impossible.  But I chose to focus on what I wanted and how good it would feel to be back competing.

 

And guess what?  Through a series of "coincidences," I found a remarkable team of people who provided exactly what I needed to help get me there.  I'm now 99% back to where I was before my injuries.  I'm three weeks from my first show of the season and seven weeks away from Masters Nationals.  My dream will be realized!

 

How cool is that?  And, honestly, had I focused on the how, I wouldn't have even tried.

 

Just take the first steps toward what you want and trust that the next step will become clear and the next obstacle will somehow melt away.  That's how it goes when you let the power of attraction work for you.  As Denise says, "Hold the vision and trust the process."

 

And go easy on the how questions.

 

Warmest Regards,

Barbara