No Idea how to start

My name is Durotoye Temitope, I am here to support the motion which says; “Farmers are better than Doctors”. But before i continue, i would like to give honor to whom honor is due by saying, good day Mr Chairman, honorable panel of Judges, my Co-debaters and fellow students.

Like I said earlier, i would like to support the motion which says, Farmers are better than Doctors…

“Farmers are better than Doctors”…

Oh no!!! it’s all disappeared. What was I supposed to say? How was I supposed to start? How can i not make a mess of myself?

You would think that this young “confident” guy, who stood up to save his row from the teacher’s cane would definitely have something more than just one line. Funny enough, he did have much more than one line; he was just too scared of making a fool of himself that he eventually made a fool of himself.

After hearing the topic, I started to develop ideas in my head, what I would say in front of the class. I stood up, shy and timid; I had never done this before; I got to the front of the class, did the usual debate introductions and ….; well, that is exactly what happened. Totally went blank. I did not know how to put my thoughts and ideas into words. I stared into the class with my colleagues staring back at me; probably wondering what was wrong with me. I eventually returned to my seat embarrassed and ashamed of myself, not even giving a point.

Funny enough, everything I should have said started returning to me by the time I got to my seat. Lol…

So, it was not that I was short of ideas or lacked the words to use, I just did not know how to start.

Often times, I pick my pen to write an article or a story; I know what I want to write about, I know what I want to achieve with this piece but my notebook remains blank. Why?

One would expect that, as long as you’ve got the idea, you are as good as finished. However, you have your ideas, you probably have a few materials, why haven’t you started?

Ideas that remain in your head are of no good to yourself and to others; they are like wasted resources.

Sometimes, I end up giving up on some writing projects or some other projects just because I fail to start. I kinda developed my own version of this quote; he who fails to start, starts to fail. I’m sure you get the point.

I am pretty sure a lot of us are familiar with these scenarios.

So what is the way out? Just Start!

The funny thing is even when we have what we need to start, we are not satisfied with what we have. Often times, we want that perfect start, that flawless introduction or headline, that captivating punchline!

You do not always need a perfect start to reach a perfect finish. A perfect start will be fine, no doubt; but it is not the prerequisite for the perfect finish.

Well, I do not speak for everyone but nothing brilliant I ever did started perfectly. I really cannot recall any project I started and completed whose start was perfect. It always had its way of growing into a perfect piece.

At the beginning of this year, many of us penned down goals, visions, projects and so on which we would like to be accomplished by the end of the year. However, for majority of us, that is where it ends. It meets its water-loo and doesn’t go beyond that point. You know why? Because, we look for that perfect beginnings, perfect starts till we eventually give up believing it will never work out or like people will say; “it just wasn’t meant to be”.

Hey, you might not get all that you think you want to start, but you can still start something. It might be a small beginning but remember that we are encouraged not to despise the days of little beginnings. You may make mistakes along the way but they are not beyond corrections.

On the journey to self discovery, mistakes would be made, your flaws will be exposed, you will be made to stand in the spotlight; stripped naked by the ordinary but piercing eyes of people.

If you are scared of starting something simply because you feel inadequate, incomplete, you’ll end up living a fantasy with no substance to show for all the ideas and dreams.

So stop waiting… Start Now!!!