Just Begin...

Good morning Monday! Lean in… 

Maya Angelou once said, "Courage is the most important of all virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage." I subscribe to that form of thought and approach, especially where the work is concerned. However, I would be lying to all you entrepreneurs and self-employed artists out there if I said it was easy. I feel that I have a relatively healthy hold on the concept of discipline but it's more than a notion to keep at it every day. It's one thing to persevere when you know what the pay off will be. It's another animal entirely to create, recreate, listen to advice, not listen to advice, hammer, hammer, and hammer away when you have absolutely no idea if anyone will like it, get it or even care. It takes courage to begin and begin again. It takes courage to wake up each morning propping up your dream that you've been dreaming for so long, honing your craft to be excellent, and believing that all the hard work will one day be worth it. It will be worth it. Even if a project or intention falls short it will be worth it. It will be worth it because you had the courage to begin, to hang in, and stick it out. Ultimately, the only failure is to give up. Instead you must choose courage; come hell or high water you must choose courage and choose to begin again. You will never truly know what metal you're made of without it. When you get stumped and stuck in the muck and mire of self-doubt ask yourself simply: what is the alternative? I am banking on the reply being one of courage. You have it in you. Be courageous and just…begin.  XX

AW