Every beginning feels impossible at first.

The page is blank. The words don’t come. The voice in your head says, “You’re not ready.”

But here’s the truth: every story you love, every song you replay, every life you admire — they all began the same way. With someone staring at a blank page, and then deciding to make a mark.

The same is true for you.

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You can experience this reflection as a Slow Talks episode here:

Why Starting Feels So Hard

Fear of starting wears many masks:

Fear of failure
Fear of what people will think
Fear that you’re not ready yet

Here’s the problem: waiting doesn’t shrink fear. It feeds it.

The longer you delay, the heavier the beginning feels.

Fear doesn’t fade with time. It grows stronger the longer you stand at the edge.

The Cost of Waiting

When we don’t start, our ideas stay locked inside.

Dreams sit in notebooks. Songs stay unsung.

And the longer they wait, the harder it becomes to let them out. Beginnings only get lighter once you move.

Reflection: What’s one idea you’ve been putting off — not because it isn’t important, but because fear told you to wait?

You Don’t Have to Be Fearless

One of the biggest myths about starting is that we need courage first. That once the fear is gone, then we’ll be ready.

But beginnings aren’t about being fearless. They’re about being willing.

When I started my YouTube-channel, I was terrified. English isn’t my first language. Most of my career had been in radio, not on camera. And at 42, I wondered if this world of social media was even meant for me.

I worried about what people would think. But I started anyway — small, imperfect steps. And the response has been warmer than I ever expected.

That’s when I realized: fear doesn’t disappear before you begin. You carry it with you. And that’s okay.

Starting isn’t an act of perfection. It’s an act of hope.

Three Gentle Ways to Begin Anyway

If fear feels loud, here are three simple practices that help me:

The Two-Minute Start
Begin for just two minutes. Write a single sentence. Stretch for two minutes. Open the file. Small cracks break the weight of not starting.
The Permission Slip
Tell yourself: “I’m allowed to be a beginner.”
You don’t need to be perfect at the start. Permission is often the first step forward.
Focus on Now
Don’t think about finishing. Think about beginning the next step. Momentum grows with action, not before it.

Small Steps Are Still Beginnings

We often picture beginnings as huge, life-changing events. But most of them are small.

One word on a page
One foot out the door
One seed in the soil

Small beginnings matter. They carry more weight than we realize.

A Gentle Closing

So if you’re afraid to start, that’s okay. Begin anyway.

Not perfectly. Not fearlessly. Just honestly.

Because life doesn’t wait until you’re ready. It opens when you do.

Are You Afraid to Start? BEGIN ANYWAY.