You’ve heard the phrase “to begin, begin” before. It was uttered by a frustrated father in the movie Wreck-It Ralph who, after he woke up from his nap, was trying to wake his son up. His son spent too much time playing video games and needed to go outside and play like he usually did. The father said a version of this phrase to him over and over again until the son finally woke up.
In life we all want for things or want help with something but maybe don’t know how to get it or what exactly we can do about it. We tell ourselves that if we just “begin," then everything will work out as planned.
We have all been in situations where we were trying to get something out of someone, only to be told things like, “He’s not home right now,” or “You should just give up on him.” We say things like “I don’t know how I would even begin to explain this to you."
There are other scenarios in life as well. Maybe you want a raise but your boss has already decided that raises for everyone will be cut from the budget. Or maybe, you want a promotion but your boss knows that he needs to bring in more business, and that means he has priorities and won't grant you the promotion just yet.
At work, you might want to be promoted when you think you deserve it. You want to start your own company or dream of retiring early. Or maybe the problem is that someone else is holding on to what they believe is rightfully theirs.
Maybe you’re just starting and not sure where to begin or end up. For example, if my friend does something halfway, his first half of a thought might be something like this: “My boss is so unfair!” (begin.) and then he goes off on a rant about how unfair it is that he doesn't get that promotion he so deserves (finish). Then he feels good and relaxed because he has finished an unfinished thought. And he thinks, “I think I’m almost done.” (begin.) and he decides to begin another half of thought, something like this: “I’ll think about it, let me plan out my thoughts first and then go over it in my head over and over until I come up with something to say.” (finish) and then he says, “This is the end of it.”
In the case of my friend, he doesn’t realize that his thoughts are simply fragments; that he has not truly begun anything yet. He is just repeating what is in his head over and over again until it seems like it has actually started to make sense.
Yes, to begin truly begin means to “begin on a day when you won't quit." It means that you will begin until something happens...good or bad. If nothing happens, then at least you tried but if something good does happen, then great! This is why I say to "begin. begin." It means you will begin until you know for sure that something has occurred.
To begin truly begins with the intention to finish what you start. Yes, it is a beginning but that doesn't mean you will be finished when the day ends. You must say “begin” and not “I think I'm almost done” or “I'll think about it” or “Let me plan out my thoughts first and then go over it in my head over and over until I come up with something to say."
Also, as far as beginnings go, there must be a time before which we can be assured nothing existed.
Post a Comment