Every great journey, Leo realized, starts with the courage to be clumsy for those first few inches.
Leo wasn't. "Can’t I just keep the small wheels for one more week?" Baby Steps
Leo stared at the cracked pavement of his driveway, his heart hammering a rhythm that felt far too loud for a quiet Tuesday morning. In his hands, he gripped the handlebars of a bicycle—the training wheels finally gone, leaving two thin strips of rubber between him and the terrifying concept of balance. "Ready?" his father asked, kneeling beside him. Every great journey, Leo realized, starts with the
Leo pedaled. He stopped thinking about the "falling" and started feeling the "moving." By the time he reached the mailbox, his father’s hand was no longer on the seat. Leo was gliding. The wind, which had felt like a wall before, was now a cool hand against his face. In his hands, he gripped the handlebars of
He didn't ride a mile that day. He didn't even make it to the end of the block. But when he parked the bike back in the garage, he wasn't the same kid who had walked out. The distance didn't matter; the fact that he had moved forward did.
"You could," his dad said softly. "But you’ve already mastered the small wheels. They aren't helping you anymore; they're just holding you back. Just focus on the first ten feet. That’s all. Baby steps."
What or new habit are you thinking about taking your own baby steps toward?