A year ago, I was busy with an intervention programme at a high school in Retreat, and the room I worked from, was the school library. I absolutely love being surrounded by books and browsing through the pages. There is something magical about the feel of knowledge placed in one’s hands and understanding the growth inside of us as we assimilate the knowledge therein.
On one such day, during the break I was browsing and stumbled upon a book by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The title intrigued me, it said: “I’m not here to give a speech”. I didn’t have time to read the entire book, but I would like share his synopsis on the back cover:
“I began to a write in the same way I climbed up on this platform: I was coerced. I confess I did all I could not to attend this assembly: I tried to get sick, I attempted to catch pneumonia, I went to the barber, hoping he’d slit my throat, and finally, it occurred to me to come here without a jacket and so they wouldn’t let me in… but I forgot I was in Venezuela, where you can go anywhere in shirtsleeves. The result: here I am, and I don’t know where to start”.
My interpretation of the above is different to what the writer intended, but it is such a beautiful reference point, I needed to share it. I found the last sentence profound: here I am, and I don’t know where to start. We are here, right now, in this moment and so many of us hold on to so many dreams and aspirations but have no clue how to start or we are so overwhelmed we do not know where to even begin. In addition to that, we make up all the excuses we possibly can because we are afraid to fail so we don’t begin at all. I was there once too. I would find ways to get out of things or make excuses because everything that goes with it becomes too overbearing and cumbersome. I made these excuses so much so, that while texting a friend about something I did not do because of so and so, the response came: “stop making excuses! You keep making excuses. Just stop!”. It was unexpected, and I was slightly defensive, but I needed to hear that in that moment and it stuck with me ever since, especially when things are within my control.
So let’s stop making excuses and take action, ask yourself: What do I want to change, what is holding me back and what will it cost me if don’t make this change? Write down everything you can think of. Now evaluate and write down all the steps you will need to do to in order to reach that goal. Attach value to it and start with the smallest and easiest
You are here! You are meant to be great. You were purposefully created to BE. Take one step, then two, then three,…stop, reflect, admire how far you have come, enjoy the view and then continue.
This is your now…
your moment…
…BE!
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