“It’s like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”
E. L. Doctorow said this about writing, but it’s really about anything in life. You have to trust that things will be revealed as you move forward toward a goal, that there will always be enough light to see what’s in front of you.
But it takes so much courage to step into that unknown, that darkness, to move into that place of not knowing, fully aware that you have no idea what lies ahead.
But you also know that, if you stay where you are, waiting for all of the information, you may never take a single step.
Change happens with one next step in the direction of your desire. Just one, single, full-of-faith movement into the darkness.
Maybe it is making a phone call for more information about a class, or saying hello to a person you’ve had a faraway crush on. Maybe it is sitting down at your keyboard and writing the first sentence.
Just begin.
Take a deep breath and start from where you are.
Take one next step at a time into the darkness.
You can live your whole life this way.
Ruth, I almost always can relate to something you have written. But this one struck me in my heart and soul. Going through a divorce after a 43 year marriage has been daunting. But the taking it one step and then another into the unknown has been almost, but not impossible. I have found that the only way is to do a bit at a time, talk about it, feel it with family and friends, and then keep going. Your words today put in writing what I have found to be true. You gave it a voice, thanks so much. Lots of love! Ellie
YES! One single step, with feeling, with awareness, with support, with deep self-compassion and love. It’s how we get through!