Everybody quotes Bilbo and Lao Tse, right?

Many times, we are told that we can make changes by baby steps.  It’s true.  But what we may not realize is that we are still making changes and changes have a way of snowballing.  Bilbo Baggins tells Frodo, “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”  Or, if you prefer a different formulation, Lao Tse notes, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

There is good news and bad news here.  I like to get the bad news over with, so:  change is often hard and unpredictable.  Sometimes we encounter resistance from unexpected places and people.  Sometimes we have to do things that are harder than we thought we could.  Sometimes we might get stuck or fail.

The good news is that all changes happen one step at a time.  We can start any time.  If we just keep taking the next step, we will make progress.  Just don’t be surprised when our little walk suddenly leads us to weight lifting and then to a reevaluation of what we’re eating and maybe a lot more water-drinking and then maybe some yoga and the need for new and smaller pants…

Deep breath, folks.  We’re stepping out the door and we’re going to end up somewhere amazing!