Stepping Towards Great

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” ~Vincent Van Gogh

So I read the above quote this morning (I like to start my day with some inspiration of some sort!).  The inherent truth of it resonates with me.  It’s like I recognize the wisdom on a cellular level.  And yet, I’ve got to admit, sometimes it’s the small things that trip me up.

Sometimes, I find it challenging in the moment to know how this particular small action is leading me to the great thing, whatever it might be.  I’ve got a reasonably clear vision of what it is I’m striving to create — my “great thing”; I know my goals, so to speak.  And yet, some days, there really is this question of “what do I do now?”  “What’s going to lead me to that?”

I know that I need to take action — some action, however small — to move me forward.  Moving forward, after all, doesn’t require leaps and bounds, it only requires movement.  Life being what it is, however, I can’t actually see the link (at least not all the time) between the step I’m taking now, and the ultimate destination.  So, what’s the solution?

My sense is that it boils down to a combination of trusting, moving, and periodic asking.  Trusting that I will get where I’m heading, by virtue of the fact that I know where I want to end up; moving in what I believe the right direction is, and then pausing periodically to ask the universe (in whatever form that takes — prayer, meditation, journalling, etc;) for some guidance.  As I was recently reminded at a women’s networking event, Dori in Finding Nemo says, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming…” In this same way, you’ve got to just keep stepping, knowing and believing that this continuous stepping will keep you from failing, and ultimately will get you where you’re going.

Bottom-line is this:  take a step, some small step.  That’s what moves you forward, nothing else.  And when in doubt ask yourself, what small step can I take now?  Then, trust that you’ll