Starting All-over Again

Change is good but it can be daunting given the requirements for discipline, perseverance and consistency. “The journey of a thousand miles begin with the first step”. This is a popular saying attributed to Lao Tsu or simply put, a popular Chinese proverb. After many years of contemplation, I joined two friends to Tee-off at the golf course. It was such a nice feeling. More of an ecstatic experience in a dream land. Why did it take so long? I wish I had a ready answer. One thing I do know now is that my excuse about being busy does not hold water. 

It’s not for lack of trying. The “will” was there but the body failed to cooperate. I bought my first complete set of golf clubs around 2005 but did not set my feet on the driving range until around 2011. Even at that, my foray lasted less than 3 weeks. That was how my first attempt ended abruptly. If anything, I submit that the presence of a coach this time around and myriads of encouragements from many quarters sustained my interest. Notwithstanding, I made up my mind never to fail on this last attempt at making the budding dream a reality. 

Coincidentally, this was not the only venture that I had failed to nail at first attempt. Around my birthday in October 2011, I started my blog - “The Winning Concept”. The first article posted was “The power in power-point” but few days later, it was shut down for reason I may never know. I had opened another blog with the same title shortly after that incident but I never operated it until I stumble on it in the first week of December 2019. For just no reason, I had typed my name - hoping to see whether google recognized my being, I guessed - and bang, Winning Concept popped up among other details. The spirit of a writer was re-awakened and here I am churning out my thoughts twice every month. 

Am I writing for its sake? No! I have a mission. One that is beyond me. If there is only one individual without hope out there who come across my musings, let it be that such will never remain the same until he/she attains set heights in life. My goal is to be an inspiration to just one man or woman out there and in the process I may just impact many more. Oh how I wished there was not a moment “my pen dried out”. A moment of grave silence and unheard inner yearnings. One in which the flow of thoughts that welled up inside of me refused to be unleashed. It felt like I had wasted time that may never be recovered again. Is it all gloom? Not quite. I am glad that I listened to my inner voice. The one that nudged me on to start all over again. The sense there is that if I do, I stand a chance to continue on a successful path. One whose trajectory defines a legacy of subtle but indelible impact.

This write-up is not about me but I am using my experience as a learning aid. It’s about encouraging someone in need of change. One who has either given up or about to do so in any aspect of life’s endeavours. It’s about someone who wanted to start a venture but easily gave up. The truth is that you will always find one thousand and one excuses why you are too busy to create time for it or why it will not work. It doesn’t matter how many times you have failed at that good venture, you can encourage yourself and pick it up again where you had stopped. Yes, pick it up again no matter how long it may be. It is never too late to begin all over again. In the words of Luminita D. Saviuc, “It’s never too late to start all over and rebuild your life from scratch; never too late to become the person you were destined to become. If you are still here, still living and breathing, then you have all it takes to move in the direction of your dreams....Don’t give up!”