Chinese philosopher Lao – tzu (604 BC – 531 BC) provided the world with a brilliant and lasting quote when he uttered the words, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. How encouraging these words can be to anyone of us who simply want to move forward by trying something new. Whether it be a cooking class, an exercise program, guitar lessons, applying for a new job or whatever – you’ll never get to your destination (your goal) if you don’t take the first step of your journey. And believe in your ability to reach your destination.
I remember my mission to Jordan in 2005 where I was assigned to the Jordanian International Police Training Center as a Peace Keeper during the Iraqi war. How excited I was at the thought of living in a different country for six months – and how concerned I was that everything would work out. It was the Middle East during a time of conflict after all, and there was a level of danger attached to the mission. The thought of the “unknown” and leaving my “comfort zone” almost made me re-consider taking that first step of my 1000-mile journey, so to speak. The thought of pain attached to a choice I had made haunted more than one of my sleeps pre-deployment. I also had to believe in myself and know everything was going to work out. And I took the first step of my journey, and what a journey it was! I fell in love with Jordan and it’s people and culture. I made life-long friends and grew as a person. That first step was worth taking. It led me on a magnificent journey, rich in education (mine), experience and culture to name just a few of the things that made taking that journey so worth while.
Sometimes we’re just comfortable where we are. Or we just settle. We talk about how nice it would be to do this – or that, but our “comfort zone” prevents us from enriching our experiences in this short time we have on this earth. Or, perhaps we do decide to try something new, but we give up because it’s hard at first. Or we don’t believe we can succeed. So, I’ve added a little something to Lao-tzu’s famous quote. What I’ve added is this: “And the idea is to keep moving forward”. Try thinking of this quote in this way: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And the idea is to keep moving forward.”
Successful athletes didn’t get that way overnight. Nor did successful entertainers – actors, musicians, motivational speakers, artists and so forth. It took time, effort, patience, belief in themselves and persistence. They began their journey, and kept moving forward, one step at a time. Sometimes they stumbled, fell and experienced set backs. But they kept moving forward. They believed in themselves. I love Rocky’s speech to his son in the 2006 movie “Rocky Balboa”. It’s one of my favorite motivational speeches. Here it is:
“You ain’t gonna believe this, but you used to fit right here. (He gestures to the palm of his hand). I’d hold you up to say to your mother, ‘This kid’s gonna be the best kid in the world. This kid’s gonna be somebody better than anybody I ever knew.’ And you grew up good and wonderful. It was great just watchin’ you, every day was like a privilege. Then the time come for you to be your own man and take on the world, and you did. But somewhere along the line, you changed. You stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you’re no good. And when things got hard, you started lookin’ for something to blame, like a big shadow.
Let me tell you something you already know.The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!
Now if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth! But you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!
I’m always gonna love you no matter what. No matter what happens. You’re my son and you’re my blood. You’re the best thing in my life. But until you start believing in yourself, you ain’t gonna have a life.”
Here are a few examples of people who went out to get what they wanted. Thomas Edison, whose teachers told him he was “too stupid to learn anything”. It took him 1,000 attempts to invent a light bulb that worked. Harland David Sanders, the now famous KFC Colonel had more than 1000 restaurants reject his chicken before becoming successful and having his chicken sold all over the world. R.H. Macy had a history of failing in business but he persevered and Macy’s eventually succeeded. Marilyn Monroe’s first contract with Columbia Pictures expired because they felt she wasn’t pretty or talented enough to succeed. Her persistence paid off and she is now remembered for her many successes. And remember Walt Disney? He was fired by a newspaper editor because the editor felt he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas”. And Albert Einstein didn’t speak until the age of four, didn’t read until the age of seven and some of his teachers labeled him as “slow” and “mentally handicapped”. After Sidney Poitier’s first audition, the casting director told him to stop wasting everybody’s time and “go be a dishwasher or something.” Oprah Winfrey was fired from her television reporting job because they felt and told her that she wasn’t fit to be on screen, and she because the undisputed queen of talk shows, not to mention a Billionaire. The list can go on and on. You get the idea.
So what was it about these successful individuals that we can learn and benefit from? It’s simply this: they had an idea. A passion. A goal. They began their journey by taking one single step. Some fell. Some were discouraged. Some likely felt like quitting. But they didn’t. They kept walking, one step ahead of another, despite the challenges. And they succeeded. So, “let me tell you something you already know.The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth! But you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!” Rocky Balboa.
Our journey’s begin with a single step. But never forget to keep moving forward, despite to odds. That’s what success is.