“The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet”
Lao-tzu (Chinese philosopher 604 – 531 BC)
There are many sayings about journeys and taking the first step. Most of these can be traced back to the words of Lao-tzu, a Chinese philosopher who passed over in 531 BC.
Its interesting to discover that the more literal translation of his words is not that a journey starts with a single step but that it starts beneath one’s feet or begins where one stands.
His words focus on the stillness before the action of the journey begins – The calmness where you gain your thoughts and focus your mind on the journey ahead rather than the start of the journey itself.
Maybe we could gain from his words of wisdom by not rushing headlong into life’s journey but from time-to-time stopping and focussing on the stillness and being thankful for where we are at that moment in time.