'Don't chase your
dreams, catch them.' Unknown
Face to Face with the
Second Step
I was first introduced to Richard Stine's simple black and white line drawings at a Westwood art faire while attending graduate school at UCLA.
His series, 'Smile
in a Mad Dog's i’ brought a smile to my own eyes and made me
laugh.
While I lingered at
his booth, lusting after his drawings, I was a poor graduate student and I just
couldn't pay $30 for a simple line drawing. I walked away
without buying anything.
Over the next year, every time I found myself stalled and frustrated after starting a new project one of his images, 'Dog face to face with the second step', kept popping into my head.
I could clearly see that silly, flat-faced, wire-haired black dog with his eyes glued to, and staring at, the second step of the stairs. I was that dog. And it was exactly how I felt--face to face, not with the first step, but the second. When I looked closely, I could clearly see the second step was in fact larger than the first.
I began to see how life was going to progress.
Over the next year, every time I found myself stalled and frustrated after starting a new project one of his images, 'Dog face to face with the second step', kept popping into my head.
I could clearly see that silly, flat-faced, wire-haired black dog with his eyes glued to, and staring at, the second step of the stairs. I was that dog. And it was exactly how I felt--face to face, not with the first step, but the second. When I looked closely, I could clearly see the second step was in fact larger than the first.
I began to see how life was going to progress.
Just as I
was congratulating myself for finally getting the latest project or job off to a
good start, I had to look out for that big second step stopping me in my
tracks.
The Second Step--An
Opportunity for a Fresh Start
But the light began to dawn and I came to see the second step in a positive light.
But the light began to dawn and I came to see the second step in a positive light.
Rather than seeing the
second step as an obstacle I began to view it as an opportunity
to pause and assess.
By taking note of where I was at the moment it gave me the necessary time to recommit to and refocus my direction while regaining the energy and motivation I needed to move
on.
Instead of being pushed off-track by unexpected obstacles, I learned to expect the unexpected and turn potential endings into fresh starts.
Be the Dog Face to Face with the Second Step ~ Paws and Assess
💙 What have YOU been working on that has you suddenly face to face with the second step?
💚 What dream or vision have you been working on
that suddenly feels stalled?
How long have you felt that churning and simmering in your head, pulling you towards taking the next step? What's stopping YOU? If you were to turn that ending into a beginning, what would you do next?
What's Got You Stalled?
- Fear of the unknown
- Fear of failure
- Fear of public failure
- Too busy at work
- Don't know where to start
- No money
- Work exhausts me and uses up my creative energy
- I focus on helping other people, and then am too tired to help myself
- I don't believe I deserve to achieve my dream
You can always feel the second step staring you in the face.
You may not always be able to articulate what's blocking you from moving forward but you can feel the invisible barrier just the same. Recognizing it's there is the first step to moving past it.
Step Up~Step In~Move Forward.
Now is the perfect time to clear your path to taking that second step.
When you come face to face with the second step here are three ways to keep your forward momentum:
💓 Give yourself the first part of the day. Get
up 1 hour earlier to devote yourself to your dream. Don't let yourself be
distracted.
💓 Choose. Choose the one thing to focus on NOW.
💓 Act today. Put your thoughts on paper, and convert those thoughts to
do-able actions. Choose to act on one step today.
'The man who moved a mountain is the one who started taking away the small stones.' Old Chinese Proverb
Want to see Richard Stine's Dog Face to Face with the Next Step? Click here.
http://www.imagekind.com/Face-To-Face-With-The-nd-Step_art?IMID=8ccdf337-adad-4f57-8590-9df60e72eca8
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For more than 35 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes letting go and moving forward with life easier than ever before.
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