Beginning with Humility

[Starting & Finishing - IX]

There is no finishing without progress.

And there is no progress without measurements and momentum.

And there are no measurements and momentum without at least getting started.

And, quite honestly, there is no starting without a stirring that something needs fixing.

And there’s no stirring without a conviction something is broken.

And there’s no conviction without perspective.

And there’s no perspective without learning.

And there’s no learning without a commitment to holding what you know gently.

Finishing doesn’t begin with confidence but humility.

Where you are and what you know must be held gently, with a humility that is at least greater than your assurance in your own capabilities to discover and defend the truth.

People like us that are unwilling to continue with the way things are must hold our convictions in tension with the more basic truth that we can always listen more deeply, learn more fully, see more clearly, and even potentially be wrong.