Do You Have the Courage to Start?

Lately, it seems that I have been struggling to find the courage to start. Not just one thing. Many things.

I decide that I want to do something and even come up with a plan. But when it’s time to take action and that first step, I falter.

And since it has happened more than once, I began to wonder what was causing me to hesitate. I’m normally someone who operates with an action bias.

Was I waiting for something? Or just afraid? In the end, I realized that it wasn’t fully about either of those things. It was many things together.

It is a very real thing to find the courage to begin. I’ve come to realize that it is because once we have started, everything shifts, and then realities have to be faced. And, quite often, we don’t always want to do that. We don’t fear the decision as much as we fear what is on the other side of it.

But as I have pushed myself to cross that barrier and begin, I have found a hidden gem in the process. In many cases, the harder it is to begin, the easier it is to see it through. Why? For the same reason. When we’re facing all of our fears and coming to terms with some realities that may be challenging, it unlocks something inside of us. Something that can fuel us to continue going on.

There’s a saying that I heard years ago that has stayed with me on this subject. It is that we must begin the way we mean to go on. What does that mean? I think it means that if we don’t begin with complete conviction and commitment, we will eventually falter. And a key part of that phrase is that it is about going on. Not arriving, not finishing. Going on. And isn’t that what life itself is about?

Beginning and going on. It takes both of those things to find true satisfaction in life.

But how do we do that?

First is knowing who we want to be. Second is knowing what it is we want to create or do with our lives. From there, we can determine how we begin. And that brings us to that place we’re talking about. The place where we begin.

One of my most valuable lessons from this past year was coming to understand that becoming requires being. To become anything, we must begin being whatever that is. We create the vision of being, and then we become.

After all, we only learn how to really play the game on the field. It doesn’t ever happen waiting on the sidelines.

Sometimes, an object lesson or illustration is the best way to understand something, especially concepts like this. Which, in this case, brought me to the subject of making bread.

Specifically sourdough bread.

First, it’s one of my favorites. But also because this bread that I love only happens because of how it begins. It’s a classic example we can use.

There is actually a “starter” that must be created first for the bread. You cannot just toss some ingredients into a bowl, mix them and pop them into the oven. It is a process that requires time and care before the creation of the final bread can even begin.

Specific ingredients in specific quantities must be brought together and allowed to sit. You begin. Then, you work on the results of that step, and then you let it rest again. That sequence continues. You work it and then let it rest over and over until it is ready.

Here’s the interesting part. Throughout the entire process you are continuously pulling and stretching everything until it is finally ready.

Once that happens, you can begin the process of finishing it off as bread. The ingredients were given the opportunity to meld together and be transformed. It’s a form of alchemy.

Can you skip that step? Sure. You can get a starter from someone else. That’s often done, but you will then have their flavor signature in your bread. Sometimes, that is fine - and, in fact, a good change once in a while. It may even inspire you to give some of your cherished starter to others.

You can also skip the starter altogether and just buy the finished product. That works as well.

But then you will not be invested in the outcome, and that will definitely change your appreciation and nurturing of it.

I prefer to create my own from the start. Right with that starter! What about you?

Who do you want to become? What do you want to achieve?

Do you have the courage to start and claim that for yourself and truly begin?

Here are some things we all must consider as we answer that question:

·         It may mean sacrifice, it often does. Everything we say yes to will create at least one or more responses of no. That’s just how it works.

·         It may mean accepting delayed gratification. That’s almost always the case.

·         It may also mean failed attempts before we get even the equivalent of the starter right. This, again, is quite often our experience. This is a pivotal point because if we allow unsuccessful attempts to begin to derail us, we lack the commitment to continue, even if we had the initial courage to begin.

·         It may mean that where the journey takes us is different from what we initially imagined. And that is something we should, in fact, hope for because it means we have truly begun the way we mean to go on - to keep growing and learning and staying open to all of the possibilities that await us by not settling for a prepared ending to the story.

·         And, finally, some might say that the subject of beginnings is for a different time. Especially right now. Who begins something in November? But we must see it differently. Now is a perfect time. Every day holds new possibilities. In fact, every moment does. A beginning can happen whenever we decide to change. To grow. And to begin.

And so we return to the example of that wonderful sourdough bread and all of that stretching and pulling before we even officially begin the bread-making.

What can we bring together to make something we can take with us long into the future that will nourish us and others and bring joy? What needs to be a part of our life starter that will help pull and stretch us?

Are you with me? Then let’s get busy. Together, let’s find the courage we need to start that will also ensure we will continue.

Let’s leverage our lives and make some incredible bread!