The Time Will Pass Anyway

November 5th — Somewhere along a misty forest path, I understood that readiness grows only when you take the first step.

When We Keep Waiting

We spend so much of our lives waiting. Waiting for more clarity, more courage, more money, more time.

We tell ourselves that once things settle down, once the job gets easier, once the timing feels right, once we finally feel ready — then we'll begin. But life rarely slows down just because we wish it would. The truth is, there's never a perfect time, there's only the time we decide to use.

And one day, we look back and realize: the years would have passed anyway, even if we had started. We could have already been living the life we dream about, learning, evolving, taking small imperfect steps. But instead, we kept waiting for the conditions to be ideal — forgetting that time doesn't ask for our permission to move.

Time keeps flowing like a soft current. Whether we swim with it or stand still, it carries us somewhere. The question is: where do you want it to take you?

The Illusion of the "Right Time"

There's comfort in waiting. It gives us an illusion of safety — that as long as we're not moving, we can't fail. But what if not moving is the failure?

We wait because we fear making the wrong choice, fear judgment, fear that we might not be good enough. Yet clarity rarely arrives before movement, it's something that unfolds through it.

You won't know if a path is right until you take a few steps.
You won't build confidence until you act, even trembling.
You won't feel ready until you start, and realize readiness was never a prerequisite, only willingness was.

What if we allowed life to meet us halfway?
What if instead of asking for signs, we became one — by choosing to move?

You Just Have to Take the First Step

You don't need to see the full path ahead.
You just have to take the first step.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said:

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."

I've always loved this quote, because it captures so beautifully how life unfolds when we dare to take that first, gentle step. 

Sometimes that step feels almost invisible, like a whisper, a gentle leaning toward something you can't yet define. But that's how all beginnings feel. It doesn't need to be dramatic. The first step might be sending the email, signing up for the class, ordering the canvas, or simply allowing yourself to admit what you truly want.

Every great change begins with one quiet act of courage.
And each step you take illuminates a little more of the path ahead.

The direction doesn't become clear before you walk — it becomes clear because you walk.

Not Impulsive, But Intentional

This isn't about acting on impulse or rushing into something without thought. It's about trusting your quiet knowing — that even small, well-considered steps matter more than endless hesitation.

You can take time to plan, to reflect, to align your heart and your circumstances. You can listen to your intuition, check in with your values, and make space for the life you're building.

But at some point, reflection must turn into movement. Otherwise it becomes a cage, a safe, familiar loop where dreams go to sleep.

I'm not saying this as someone who has it all figured out.
Years ago, I was stuck in a job that drained me, unsure of what I really wanted. For years, I kept thinking, "maybe someday I'll know where to go." Eventually, I made a choice that simply felt possible, I started studying IT. I wasn't entirely certain it was my calling, but it interested me and I saw potential in it.

And those studies? They weren't wasted. They became part of my path, not the final destination, and that's the beauty of it. Even if you're not fully sure where to begin, every step teaches you something and leads you closer to yourself.

You can always take a step forward, and if it doesn't feel right later, you can take a step back.
Either way, you're moving. You're learning. You're alive.

Because whether you do or not,
the time will pass anyway.

And one day, the future version of you will look back and whisper, thank you for beginning.

Soft reflection for you

If you began today — even gently, even unsure — how might your life feel a year from now? Whatever it is you're dreaming of, big or small, know that I'm quietly rooting for you.🌷

If this reached you today, you were meant to find it.
For more gentle reflections and slow psychology, come find me on Instagram: @selflavie. 💌 

Soft hugs,
Selflavie