George Washington was once a baby. Before he became the face on the dollar bill, he crapped himself and couldn’t hold his own head up. Same goes for Joan of Arc. Your boss, too. Maybe even your parents.
We all start at zero in that way.
Not just at birth, but every time we face something new. Every skill we learn, every relationship we build, every challenge we face. Everyone who’s ever been good at anything started exactly where you may be right now: at zero.
Maybe you’re reading this because you feel like you’re starting at zero in some areas of your life.
Maybe you grew out amid the nothing of Bumfuck, USA. A monoculture. Never had the time, resources, encouragement, or privilege to access diverse ideas. Didn’t have folks who had nor could hand you an emotional toolkit or service manual for the soul.
Maybe you grew up hearing (and believing) that books were for pussies and dorks. But maybe you were also blessed with common sense. And at some point, you realized that staying immature and ignorant — staying at zero emotionally and spiritually — is for the spineless.
So give yourself some grace if you’re at zero. It’s the perfect place to begin.
“The thought came to Charley then that if you stayed one way long enough, that was the way you were.”
Pete Dexter, Deadwood (Book)
“He knew what had to be done. It is not always the same as knowing what to do.”
Dan Simmons, Hyperion (Book)