When I was a little girl, my youngest sister, Deanna, and I shared a bedroom. On our wall hung a poster of a ballet dancer balanced on one foot, her other leg extended in a gravity-defying arabesque. Along the bottom of the picture was a quote by Goethe: “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
As a child, I thought the most important words of Goethe’s quote were “genius” and “power” and “magic.” Since then, I’ve realized that the crucial word is “begin.” Whatever it is: a short-story, an exercise plan, a commitment to a cause, a journey toward parenthood.
Today starts a new year. Whatever it is. Begin.
ShareThisTags: Goethe quote, Goethe: "Begin it.", international adoption, Jessica O'Dwyer, Mamalita: An Adoption Memoir, new year's resolutions