I have a quote hanging on my bulletin board on my desk in my office. I hung it up a couple years ago and while it is always there, I hadn’t actually looked at it and read it in quite some time. Just the other day, I decided to take a moment and read it again.
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:
‘Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!’– W. H. Murray in The Scottish Himalaya Expedition, 1951
The quote, or a slight variation of it, is often attributed to Goethe (as it is on my bulletin board), but after a bit of research I found that the entire quote is actually from W. H. Murray as he is quoting a “very free” translation of Goethe by John Aster. Whoever wrote it is irrelevant to it’s meaning and impact. Committing to something is a major step and that single action can have far reaching consequences.
Back on my 30th birthday in late October, I officially made this website public and shortly after that, I was accepted by LINC into their ArtsLINC program and they became my fiscal sponsor. The project was out there. It was public. I had backing from a pretty incredible organization. I was committed. Just last week, I was visiting family in Orlando over the holidays and started making plans for my move from Ithaca, New York to Florida for this project. After a lot of discussion and debate, I settled on a date and it is soon… I will be departing Ithaca on either Monday, December 16th or Tuesday, December 17th, weather dependent. That is less than 10 days away. I am committed and this project is happening. There is lots to do and plenty to prepare by January 1st, but momentum is building and I am excited! I hope you will join me!
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