one pebble, one cloud, one step at a time.
I asked someone once why they enjoy going on regular pilgrimages. They replied, “It’s so wonderful to wake up each morning and know all I have to do today is walk.” Sometimes it helps to move away of the big picture of our existence, like how to meet our goals, worrying about long-term relationships, or the stress of achieving our ambitions. Instead, imagine you are on a pilgrimage and there’s nothing you have to do except what you have to do. Move into the satisfying detail of what can be accomplished right now. Do things “bird by bird,” as Annie Lamott advises. For a while, forget the idea that you have to get somewhere or achieve something. Grow mindful of the sweet details in your life: your breath, your humming, the small, firm steps you can take to move through a challenge. You’ll accomplish a lot more by doing things mindfully, one at a time.