guiding lights

several years ago, when i was having a what-to-do-how-to-do-it-should-i-do-it moment, one of my favorite people gave me a copy of the following by w.h. murray. wise man, that murray fella. more than a dozen years later, it remains one of my many guiding lights.

until one is committed
there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back,
always ineffectiveness.
concerning all acts of initiative (and creation),
there is one elementary truth,
the ignorance of which kills countless ideas
and splendid plans:

that the moment one definitely commits oneself,
then providence moves too.
all sorts of things occur to help one
that would never otherwise have occurred.
a whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one’s favour all manner
of unforeseen incidents and meetings
and material assistance,
which no (wo)/man could have dreamt
would have come (her)/his way.
i have learned a deep respect for one of goethe’s couplets:

“whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”