This is such a great illustration of how courage doesn't always look courageous.
Sometimes courage is walking into a room where you don't know anyone.
Sometimes it's starting the uncomfortable conversation.
Sometimes it's saying, I’ll do it.
And sometimes, apparently, it's cutting the damn cake. 😂
But the deeper lesson is about inertia. We can spend an incredible amount of energy convincing ourselves that we're waiting for the “right” moment, the right person, or the right permission when, underneath it all, we're afraid to make the first move.
I've learned that one of the most important steps in transformation is realizing that action doesn't require certainty.
You can be afraid and still move.
You can be unsure and still begin.
You can make the first cut imperfectly and discover that the cake is still delicious.
That's a lesson I think applies beautifully to purpose, too. We often wait for purpose to reveal itself completely before taking action. But sometimes purpose becomes clearer **because we acted.**
The first step creates information the waiting never could.
And there's another piece here I really appreciate: going first can be an act of service.
You aren't necessarily being the boldest person in the room. You're simply willing to absorb a little uncertainty so someone else doesn't have to.
One person makes the first cut.
Someone else realizes it's safe to pick up a plate.
Then another person joins.
And suddenly the whole room is participating.
That's how change often begins- not with everyone becoming fearless, but with one person being willing to move while still carrying their fear.
So maybe the question isn't only, “Where am I waiting for someone else to make the first cut?”
Maybe it's:
“What becomes possible for everyone else if I make mine?”
Beautiful piece, Susan. And yes... somebody should probably just cut the damn cake. 🍎😂
What a wonderful comment. You captured exactly what I hoped the piece would convey: courage doesn't always look courageous, and we don't need certainty before we act.
I especially appreciate your connection to purpose. I've been thinking about purpose lately, and your observation that sometimes purpose becomes clearer when we act caught my attention for the upcoming piece I'm writing on it. We often expect clarity to precede action, when sometimes action is what gives us the information and experience that create clarity.
And I love your extension of the final question: What becomes possible for everyone else if I make mine? That's the generosity of going first.
Thank you for reading so thoughtfully—and for joining ValuesCrafting. I'm delighted you're here.
And yes. Somebody really did need to cut the damn cake. And it really was delicious.😂🍎
Susan, thank you. That genuinely means a lot. And I'm glad the connection to purpose landed.
I think we often put clarity on a pedestal, as though we're supposed to have the entire map before we're willing to take the first step. But sometimes the map doesn't appear until our feet start moving.
That's been a big lesson for me personally: purpose isn't always something we discover by thinking harder about our lives. Sometimes we discover it by participating more fully in them.
You take the first step, learn something.
You take another, meet someone.
You try something, fail, adjust, try again.
And somewhere along the way, you look back and realize, “Oh... this is what I was being prepared for.”
That's why I love your cake analogy so much. 😂 The first cut wasn't just about dessert. It was about breaking the spell of hesitation and once that happened, everyone got to enjoy what had been sitting there all along.
Maybe purpose works the same way.
Sometimes we don't need another sign.
Sometimes we just need to pick up the knife.
And yes... I remain firmly convinced that someone should always cut the damn cake. 😂🍎
This is such a lovely way to put it: “Sometimes we discover purpose by participating more fully in our lives.” I think there’s something important there about paying attention to what happens after we take that first step—the people we meet, what draws us in, what we discover we care about.
I've noticed in over-50 widow and divorce groups that one of the things many people struggle to recover is the sense of purpose they once had within a partnership. Your thought about participating more fully in life makes me wonder whether purpose after a major life change may be something we build our way into, rather than something we simply find.
You’ve given me even more to think about as I work on the purpose piece. Thank you.
And I think we have officially established the ValuesCrafting rule: when in doubt, cut the damn cake!
This is such a great illustration of how courage doesn't always look courageous.
Sometimes courage is walking into a room where you don't know anyone.
Sometimes it's starting the uncomfortable conversation.
Sometimes it's saying, I’ll do it.
And sometimes, apparently, it's cutting the damn cake. 😂
But the deeper lesson is about inertia. We can spend an incredible amount of energy convincing ourselves that we're waiting for the “right” moment, the right person, or the right permission when, underneath it all, we're afraid to make the first move.
I've learned that one of the most important steps in transformation is realizing that action doesn't require certainty.
You can be afraid and still move.
You can be unsure and still begin.
You can make the first cut imperfectly and discover that the cake is still delicious.
That's a lesson I think applies beautifully to purpose, too. We often wait for purpose to reveal itself completely before taking action. But sometimes purpose becomes clearer **because we acted.**
The first step creates information the waiting never could.
And there's another piece here I really appreciate: going first can be an act of service.
You aren't necessarily being the boldest person in the room. You're simply willing to absorb a little uncertainty so someone else doesn't have to.
One person makes the first cut.
Someone else realizes it's safe to pick up a plate.
Then another person joins.
And suddenly the whole room is participating.
That's how change often begins- not with everyone becoming fearless, but with one person being willing to move while still carrying their fear.
So maybe the question isn't only, “Where am I waiting for someone else to make the first cut?”
Maybe it's:
“What becomes possible for everyone else if I make mine?”
Beautiful piece, Susan. And yes... somebody should probably just cut the damn cake. 🍎😂
I wish I could love this 5x or more.
What a wonderful comment. You captured exactly what I hoped the piece would convey: courage doesn't always look courageous, and we don't need certainty before we act.
I especially appreciate your connection to purpose. I've been thinking about purpose lately, and your observation that sometimes purpose becomes clearer when we act caught my attention for the upcoming piece I'm writing on it. We often expect clarity to precede action, when sometimes action is what gives us the information and experience that create clarity.
And I love your extension of the final question: What becomes possible for everyone else if I make mine? That's the generosity of going first.
Thank you for reading so thoughtfully—and for joining ValuesCrafting. I'm delighted you're here.
And yes. Somebody really did need to cut the damn cake. And it really was delicious.😂🍎
Susan, thank you. That genuinely means a lot. And I'm glad the connection to purpose landed.
I think we often put clarity on a pedestal, as though we're supposed to have the entire map before we're willing to take the first step. But sometimes the map doesn't appear until our feet start moving.
That's been a big lesson for me personally: purpose isn't always something we discover by thinking harder about our lives. Sometimes we discover it by participating more fully in them.
You take the first step, learn something.
You take another, meet someone.
You try something, fail, adjust, try again.
And somewhere along the way, you look back and realize, “Oh... this is what I was being prepared for.”
That's why I love your cake analogy so much. 😂 The first cut wasn't just about dessert. It was about breaking the spell of hesitation and once that happened, everyone got to enjoy what had been sitting there all along.
Maybe purpose works the same way.
Sometimes we don't need another sign.
Sometimes we just need to pick up the knife.
And yes... I remain firmly convinced that someone should always cut the damn cake. 😂🍎
This is such a lovely way to put it: “Sometimes we discover purpose by participating more fully in our lives.” I think there’s something important there about paying attention to what happens after we take that first step—the people we meet, what draws us in, what we discover we care about.
I've noticed in over-50 widow and divorce groups that one of the things many people struggle to recover is the sense of purpose they once had within a partnership. Your thought about participating more fully in life makes me wonder whether purpose after a major life change may be something we build our way into, rather than something we simply find.
You’ve given me even more to think about as I work on the purpose piece. Thank you.
And I think we have officially established the ValuesCrafting rule: when in doubt, cut the damn cake!