When was the last time you experienced the power of beginning?
“Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge.”
~ Khalil Gibran
One year ago, I decided to create a trailer for my book, BUOYANT. I knew the energy and vibe I wanted to convey. How I wanted viewers to feel. And I had ideas for the various shots and imagery I needed to instill a sense of possibility, inspiration, and passion in my audience that would echo the principles in the book.
Other than that, I was starting at zero.
Reaching for Certainty
I was excited by the prospect of going on an adventure of learning and growing as well as was overwhelmed by all the things I did not know how to do. I floundered for several days, reaching for certainty in knowing all the steps I had to take. I wanted to be able to see the entire journey from where I stood, with the comfort of having everything mapped out in detail.
I knew enough to get in motion and seek fresh air. Out on a hike, I stopped in the middle of the trail and opened my pocket journal. I took my pencil and wrote “1)” at the top of the page and waited for a list to appear. The tidy, chronological To Dos that would take me from the starting point and across the finish line.
I stood and stared at the blank page with my pencil poised at the ready. Nothing came. I walked another mile and stopped again. Nothing.
I was trying to pick up directions from a faint radio signal. But the transmitter was situated on the shoreline of an island I had never visited. Instructions I was desperate to hear remained silent.
As I neared the trailhead, I remembered.
The Unknown & The Power of Beginning
I remembered my job was simply to know the vision of what I wanted to create and the intention behind it. Everything else belonged to unseen hands, to unknown processes, to the mysterious void of making something from nothing.
Once across the membrane of control and through the portal of surrendering to possibility, the name of the person I need to ask for help came to me: Chelsea Sanders. I reached out to Chelsea, explained what I wanted to create, and we booked our first shoot.
Weeks later, I stood in a studio in Boston, in full hair, makeup, and wardrobe. I looked into her eyes and said, “I’m wildly uncomfortable.” She held my glance with an almost unbearable energy of unconditional love, understanding, and kindness.
“I got you,” she said.
The precise words I needed to hear. I handed over the reins and let myself fall back into her experience, talent, and warmth. Into the power of beginning something new and uncharted. Into the in-between.
The Power of Beginning with a Guide
Chelsea and her team guided me over the course of a year, inching us closer. I brought in Ryan Karcher from the Highlands area to shoot drone videos. We chose images and clips, wrote the script, organized the shots, and set it all to music.
And then, as if by Magic, it was done.
I invite you to enjoy the finished product below:
If you are moved by the message of the video, I invite you to share this link far and wide. Post it on your social media channels. Send it to friends, family, and colleagues. Include it in your email newsletter. I would so appreciate your support!
Clarity & The Power of Beginning
Take a moment right now and bring to mind something you long to create. Write it down and ask for clarity as to whom your first call or email should be. Once you have your person, take that first step. Don’t apologize for not knowing what you don’t know. That will all come in the doing.
Let yourself enjoy the unknown, and be guided by your intuition, experiencing the power of beginning. It is there, in that uncomfortable, wild season of becoming that you will unleash something remarkable from within and bring it to light.
