baby steps

Discussing psychological healing, someone once advised me to take "baby steps". It seemed like a good idea at the time. The image that came to mind was small steps, slow and careful.

However it has occurred to me that in child development books, REAL baby steps are termed precipitous walking. In the beginning, each and every step is actually a fall, a stumble. Children learning to walk are reckless, driven. Once they let go of that coffee table and head out into the great wide open, they tend to just go for it. You've seen it, right? All the adults holding their breath while the kid plunges forward, throwing one foot out ahead of the other, again and again, until boom!

They step out there, fall down, go boom. Then get back up and do it again!
Not a bad strategy, I think. After all, how many adults do you know who never learned how to walk?

Returning to this issue of psychological healing - 
Yesterday at a lecture I attended, the question was asked, 
"When do you learn to not abandon yourself?"
And I couldn't help but also think, "And how?" 

There is no doubt that I've been making progress for a couple years with the slow and steady approach. As a matter of fact, this week in particular I've been noticeably bolder and effective, speaking up, asking for help and getting what I needed. And that's big stuff for me; felt pretty good too, less foreign, less forced. Hmmmm...... and so I'm thinking maybe it's time to ramp it up...... and go for it toddler-style! :D