But let us not forget that cities are like human beings. They are born, they go through childhood and adolescence, they grow old, and eventually they die
Elif SafakRead
Fret not where the road will take you. Instead concentrate on the first step. That's the hardest part and that's what you are responsible for. Once you take that step let everything do what it naturally does and the rest will follow. Do not go with the flow. Be the flow.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Focus on taking the initial step rather than worrying about the entire journey.
This quote emphasizes the importance of taking action in the face of uncertainty. It suggests that while it’s natural to be concerned about the future or the direction of one’s life, what truly matters is the first step one takes. By concentrating on this initial action, one can overcome the fear that often paralyzes progress. Once that step is taken, the unfolding of events will take its natural course, and instead of passively going along with circumstances, one should strive to be an active force in shaping their journey.
Themes
ActionMotivationFirst StepResponsibilityJourney
In practice
Example use cases
In a graduation speech to inspire students to take the first steps into their future careers.
More from Elif Safak
All quotes →I like to question cultural biases wherever I go, and I question Islamophobia as much as I question anti-western sentiment because I think all extremist ideologies are very similar.
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Stories cannot demolish frontiers, but they can punch holes in our mental walls, and through those holes we can get a glimpse of the other and sometimes even like what we see.
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What i’m saying is, my friends, one ought to be able to let go. If a path does not please us, instead of insisting on going that specific way, of making our selfishness the guide, we ought to forsake. The books we cannot write, the films we cannot shoot, the projects we cannot develop, the jobs we cannot pursue and the people who no longer love us. Being able to let go, at times, is the most beautiful of all!
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For me, writing stories is one way of feeling connected to the universe and God.
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I write as if I were drunk. It is a process of intuition rather than placing myself above my story like a puppeteer pulling strings. For me, it's a scary, chaotic process over which I have little control. Words demand other words, characters resist me.
Elif SafakRead
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