little x little

I have a friend who uses the phrase "little by little".  She's said this phrase for so long but it wasn't until recently that I started quoting her (attempting to imitate the fluctuating tone of her voice).  For the past few weeks it's sort of been an endearing and comforting phrase for me - even inspiring.

Last week, I went on my usual library adventure and picked up my stack of reserved books.   I was excited to peruse.  Lo and behold, Mary Oliver's poem, The Journey was in two of the books I had chosen.  What are the odds?  They were of such different genres.  Also, for the first time in this poem, I noticed the phrase "little by little".  See it?  < insert squeal of delight >  I love it when there is some sort of way the Universe wraps everything up (usually NOT with a neat bow but ties it all together nonetheless).

All of this has reminded me of a quote by Anne Lamott from her book, Grace (Eventually): "That's me, trying to make progress...scootch, scootch, stall, scootch, stall, catastrophic reversal; bog, bog, scootch."  In other words, with a lot more humor and honest reality, "little by little"!

Being a strong believer in affirmations, I can't help but notice this one, too, that Mark Fisher recommends, "Every day in every way, I am getting better and better."  I might put a spin on this every once in awhile - something like "Every day in every way, I am getting closer and closer.", etc...

Years ago, I came up with this phrase, words that create a strong visual image for me: "An avalanche of water won't make an impression.  A continuous drop of water will...create everyday."

Little by little, one foot in front of the other, we create our lives.  Leaps happen on occasion but when we reflect on these leaps, we usually see that it was built on a foundation of baby steps.

Keep on keepin' on my friends, little by little.  I will too!

Oh!  And if you like this post, you might also enjoy this one.