There are times when the beginning of a matter eludes me.
How to start the needed conversation.
How to break the too-big task into smaller pieces so that I can see the “Do This First” spot.
How to unravel the “Once Upon a Time” of a story so that more than the words Chapter One remains on page one.
Sometimes I’m waiting for the best beginning. The perfect beginning. And that kind of expectation will trip me up every time.
Somehow I must begin … even if, in my attempt, I find that I must try, try again.
If nothing else, I’ve begun something.
Proceeding with caution is better then doing nothing at all. Tough conversations are best begun by listening to the other person. Those tasks I’ve avoided for days — or weeks or months? If I pick one and get ‘er done, it’s a start, right? And rough words that start to tell the story can always be rewritten. And they usually are.
In Your Words: When you find yourself stuck at the beginning of something, what do you do to get yourself to move?
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Comments 5
I loved this. Sometimes it is just finding the best (or any) way of beginning. When it comes to a story, I have to envision the scene and then I can begin. When it’s a conversation, I pray for the perspective to know how to start it. When it comes to trying something new, it’s often working up the courage to just do it. Usually, I invite a friend to join me, if the situation is appropriate for that. 🙂
I guess it’s figuring out how to at least begin and then doing it. 🙂
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I love the idea of inviting a friend to join you.
That’s why walking in the morning is always better with my walking buddy … or buddies. 🙂
Ahh…the blinking cursor winking at you from a blank page. Beginnings are hard sometimes. That’s when I check out my favorite blogs. 😉 But it’s always waiting for me when I return.
Prayer is the first line of defense, whether it’s talking to someone about a subject you really don’t want to bring up or the first words on a page. Not long ago, I heard hammering coming from the backyard new next door neighbors. When I inquired, I learned they were building a chicken house.
With the price of eggs being what they are, I could understand. But this is a covenant neighborhood and the chicken coop was going to be right outside my bedroom window. Joy. I prayed. Fervently. I mean, these neighbors will probably be there for years. A morning or two later, I “good-morning’d” one of the neighbors and we talked. In the conversation I casually asked if they had checked the covenant for the subdivision regarding a chicken coop. Turns out they hadn’t and were aghast they might be in violation.
I had really dreaded talking with them about it, and with prayer, turns out it came to nothing.
Author
Ah, to begin with prayer … such a wise reminder, Pat.
Which reminds me: I just received my edits.
Before I begin … I shall pray.
Thank you, friend. 🙂
I agree, prayer is always a good place to start. I find the answer on how to begin most often comes to me in the early morning, when the rest of the world is still quiet. A cup of coffee with the sunrise, during an early morning walk, like you mentioned, or gazing into a starry sky can put things into motion for me. Timely idea for me to reflect upon right now. Thanks, Beth.