千里之行，始于足下
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"
This comes from the 道德经 (Dao De Jing), attributed to 老子 (Laozi). Probably the most well-known Chinese proverb in the West. And for good reason - sounds simple but gets deeper the more you think about it.
I think about this a lot when staring at a blank screen. New feature. New recipe. First page of a Chinese textbook. The hardest part is always the same: 开始 (kai shi) - starting.
Not starting perfectly. Not starting with a plan. Just starting.
What Laozi Didn't Say 老子没说的
The proverb doesn't say "journey begins with the right shoes" or "begins with a detailed map." It says 足下 - literally "beneath your feet." Wherever you are right now, that's where it starts.
I spent too many hours planning the perfect approach. Perfect recipe. Perfect product spec. Perfect study schedule for characters. 你知道吗 (ni zhi dao ma) - you know what? The people who get good at things are the ones who just start. Start cooking. Start building. Start writing characters badly.
My Take 我的想法
Chinese is my mother tongue. But when I started teaching friends who wanted to learn, I saw this proverb come alive. They stare at characters like impossible puzzles. A few months later? They're reading menus. Texting me in pinyin. Sometimes - on a good day - understanding a joke!
None of that happened because they found the perfect textbook. It happened because one day they just started. One character at a time. 一步一步 (yi bu yi bu) - step by step.
最好的开始时间是昨天。第二好的是现在。
Best time to start was yesterday. Second best time is now.
If you want to learn Chinese, I can help. We start small - maybe just food words first. 来我家吃饭 (lai wo jia chi fan) - come to my place for food. I'll teach you while we cook. 一举两得 (yi ju liang de) - kill two birds with one stone!