Moving Forward in Life

Moving from where you are now, taking a chance on moving forward to new adventures, new shores, can feel scary.
Often the leap seems too vast, too difficult, something that other people do, not us.
And yet, we don’t have to make a giant leap. We can create stepping stones which lead us more manageably to the place we’re going.
My dream is to trek to Everest base camp. I know that, at the moment, I’m not fit enough and the time is not right. However, that doesn’t mean I give up. Slowly and surely I am building my fitness, creating the right environment for me to be able to achieve what I want to achieve.
Sometimes we have to think outside the box and play the long game. What small steps can help us reach the place we want to go, eventually?

Just because something is difficult, doesn’t make it impossible.
If you could reflect for a moment and decide on a goal, a dream… no matter how far away it might seem now…. what would it be?
And what tiny steps can you begin to take… to reach it?

stepping stones

Small Steps

Often we dismiss dreams and plans as being too outlandish, too difficult. We end up spending our lives doing nothing because we were too afraid to start. A list of negative ‘what ifs’ comes flooding into our minds.

What if we fail? Or are not good enough? Maybe people will laugh at us or our dream will be impossible to achieve? And yet, how will we ever know if we don’t try? It may well be that I never get to the foothills of the Himalayas. I don’t know what is going to happen to me in 5 minutes, never mind 5 years’ time! And yet, I can begin to create small stepping stones towards my goal.

I have started walking – at first around the block, and then into town. Now I am beginning to venture farther afield and am thinking that maybe I can have a weekend away somewhere waking. All the time, as I am walking, each step is bringing me closer to my dream. In a way my journey to Everest base camp has started from my house in Welwyn Garden City…

What’s Your Dream?

We all have different dreams and different goals in life. Sometimes it’s an idea that is floating in the background and keeps popping into our heads. Other times it can be something that feels solid, but we don’t quite know how to achieve it.dreaming

If you could do something, learn something, be someone….what would it be? Is it something you can start working towards right now? What will be the stepping stones along your way?

Do you read this and dismiss the idea of having a dream or  does it spark a need, a desire deep inside you? Perhaps you thought that you were too young, too old, not experienced enough, not clever or fit enough? Maybe you thought that people like you don’t do that kind of thing?

Well, why not? There are no rules written that say you can’t be a rock climber or a calligrapher or a criminologist. If you can think it, you can do it. And even if you end up not doing it, you can have some fun and enriching experiences along the way.

The Next Step

So, what now? Time for reflection is important. If we think, reflect, ponder….we start to know more about ourselves, more about where we want to go and what our dreams really are.

Once you have an idea you can start to work out what you need to do to achieve it. Is it something you can start straight away or do you need to put in stepping stones? And then….you need to start. It doesn’t matter that this dream might take 10 years to achieve, but if you don’t start you will never get there.

It’s better to do a little of something every day than to do nothing or beat yourself up about being a failure. You are in charge. Get up and take a step. If you can’t get your mind into gear then talk to people who can help you get into the mindset. If you don’t have enough money yet, work out how to start saving, even if it’s £1 at a time.

Some dreams come quickly and others take a long time. But they are all your dreams and it’s up to you to make them work.lake reflection

Do it

There comes a time when there are no more excuses. You either do something or you don’t. Ultimately, you have control over you. We can’t stop difficult times from happening in life and we might not always achieve everything we set out to do, but we can choose how we live our lives. It’s up to us as individuals to lead the best life we can and live every moment with a purpose.

So, if you could choose a dream, an idea, a skill, a job, a crazy life affirming ambition….what would it be? And what are you going to do about it? Now.

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