Starting is the Hardest Part

“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”

― Mark Twain

We’re already two weeks into Ramadan. If you don’t know what is, it’s the time of the year when all Muslims are obligated to fast from dawn to dusk for a month.

The older I get, the more I appreciate Ramadan. Because when you’re thrown out of your usual day-to-day routines by abstaining from food and drink (among other things), you’re forced to be more intentional and mindful about the things you do, and the person you are. It can feel like a much-needed annual reset.

Get this, though — fasting is incredibly hard. It’s not easy to deal with the hunger, the thirst and dehydration, and feeling tired throughout the day. Personally, as someone who is prone to having days-long migraines, it’s definitely not a fun experience.

But one thing I’ve realized over the years is that the first week of fasting is the most brutal. But after that, it can only get better, as you settle into your new routine. So, I tend to remind myself that if I can get through the first week, I can get through the rest of the month.

And this is one of the many valuable lessons that Ramadan teaches us — that starting is the hardest part.

More often than not, doing anything that’s worth doing would require you to step out of your comfort zone, which can definitely be an overwhelming and difficult experience. But then, you just get used to it. And you grow through it, too.

And as Ramadan repeatedly shows us, just when you think your hunger, your thirst and your tiredness are never-ending, dusk comes, and your fast for the day has ended.

Likewise, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel in whatever difficulty you find yourself in. You just to need keep going, and keep the faith that you’re on the right track.