One small step at a time

Last week I saw a YouTube video of a little girl taking her first steps—and eventually learning to walk. Her father shot the video as a time-lapse so it chronicled all her baby steps, from learning to stand for a few seconds to much later, walking steadily on her own. He showed lots of falls, which always are a part of learning to walk, and even a few gentle pushes by her older sister.

This video reminded me that life comprises lots of stops and starts, lots of falls and recoveries, lots of helping hands along the way, sometimes a few pushes (both good and bad), and affirmation from those who love us most. What we need to remember is that taking baby steps toward a goal or dream is the best way to get there. One small step at a time—and before you know it, you're there.

And when we fall, just like that little girl, we need to pick ourselves up and get moving again. It helps to surround yourself with positive and affirming people, too. Although life often brings us negative people who are all too ready to criticize us (and our inner critics can do enough of that on their own), it's helpful to either tune out those voices or in some cases, drop those friendships. Develop relationships with those who can affirm and support you on your journey. Learn to love that inner critic, too. If you'd like to learn more about how to deal with your inner critic, I invite you to contact me.

For today, though, think of things you want to achieve—and what baby steps you can take to get there.