“Self-awareness of one’s faults, far from being the first step to growth, is very often the second foot in the mud.”

“Yet understanding one’s own nature is often a first step to personal growth. All this psychological crap was making me irritable.”

“The mind's first step to self-awareness must be through the body.”

“To dare is to momentarily lose one’s footing. But not to dare is to lose one’s self.”

“Stepping out of one’s world or out of one’s habitual self is a transcendental experience. [...] If we seek transcendence, we may have many visions, but we will surely end where we started. If we opt for growth, we may have our moments of transcendence, but they will be peak experiences along the steady road to a richer and more secure self. (32-33)”

“Steps can be special and mysterious, taking on a metaphorical quality as they become a powerful way to define the truth. The concept of “taking one’s first step” is often overrated. Aftertaking a first step, no one ever stops cold. It is the succession of steps moving forward with a purpose that has true meaning in our lives.”