That Step Is A Doozy

Today I came across this quote attributed to William Shakespeare, "Be great in act, as you have been in thought." I've always enjoyed how a phrase that can seem so simple on first reading can then become more complex upon the second.

Pretty straight forward, right? Follow through on your thoughts with action. Or more specifically, your actions should be as great as your thoughts. Assuming your thoughts were great in the first place and warrant being acted upon. But then again, that "as" in the middle kind of gives you an out doesn't it? Your actions only have to be as great as your thoughts have been. So, I guess if you don't exert much energy in deep contemplation and reflection, you can act in just as minimal a fashion. Hmm, I guess it might all become relative. Okay, that became a bit muddled ;)

Although when I read that quote, I like to see it as a type of challenge. The challenge to overcome the fear of acting upon your thoughts. You may spend hours, days, years, contemplating a question or situation, trying to find the best solution for yourself. But what if the solution isn't easy? What if acting upon your thoughts, no matter how great or correct they might be, will cause conflict or unhappiness or risk the current stability of the status quo? Will you be able to act boldly, to overcome the fear of the unknown, to do what you know must be done?

Well, I guess that is the deeper point here. First, are you able or willing to listen to your thoughts and do the hard work of questioning your decisions? And, second, are you fearless enough to then act, to take the necessary risk, to make the needed changes in your life? It is when you are willing to listen to yourself and be fearless that figuring out and then taking your next step becomes possible. When you are able to overcome fear, then you can begin to view that next step into the unknown with excitement and anticipation. To be great in act.