Hooey

"The act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from the losers."
- Brian Tracy

I have a thing for get rich quick schemes. Over the years I've become less of a sucker, but I still have my moments. In one of those moments a couple years ago (I believe I was unemployed and recently single..) I signed up for several Nightingale-Conant communiques. One I still get is "Motivational Quote of the Day".

Most of the time, these are insipid quotes from tape programs sold by Nightingale-Conant. Once a week or so, I get a quote that's really well... best to say it's a koan. It makes me look at the world differently.

Rarely, I get a quote, like this one, that's just crap.

"The act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from the losers."
- Brian Tracy

What separates the winners from the losers is taking the next step. The one after you're miserable, in pain, and want to quit. It's sitting down and writing the day after you've run out of passion for the story. It's standing on one leg for another minute after you've already lost your balance. It's daring to send the story in for one more rejection. It's chosing to walk to lunch today. It's deciding the person over there who scares you could actually be a friend.

First steps are fairly easy. Especially if they involve no more than sending money to someone. Of course, what Tracy really means is, "Winners buy into my program. Losers do not." And really, I'm okay with being a loser in his eyes.