Day 4: A Single Step

“The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.” Chinese Proverb

It seems obvious that each of my adventures begin with a single, simple, intentional act. The act of walking begins with a step. The act of thinking begins with a thought. But where am I walking to and what do I choose to think about? If I walk to the refrigerator for another beer (and I certainly do that on occasion) it requires a different degree of intentionality than beginning a journey across town or across the country. The physical image of choosing to move is obvious and almost second nature to us. And yet I am finding my thought life is just as important and requires as much purpose. Be it focusing on mind - body - or spirit, being intentional gives me the chance of moving toward the things I value.

If I don’t focus ... it seems my mind can out run a vacuum cleaner when it comes to sucking up dirt. I’ve heard the saying: “you can’t stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep it from building a nest in your hair.” I can only keep the bird from nesting if I have another thought to shoo it away.

So today I journeyed downtown one lovely step at a time, one blessed thought at a time. I could have stayed on the couch but I took that single step. And with that impetus the thought of not just moving, but moving in the right direction, became flesh. It made sense to find places that I wanted to travel and thoughts I wanted to ponder and pursue them with purpose. One step at a time I pondered as I wandered downtown. And even though I ended up at a wonderful brewery I had at least walked 3 miles for this beer.

#Intentionality #TheJourney #Journeyof1000Days #Beginning