#20 - Celebrating Small Steps
#20 - Celebrating Small Steps
This article discusses:
Giving your best
The power of small steps
Celebration the small
Tell me about you.
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”
Confucius, The Analects
Good morning, beautiful people.
Today I want to celebrate with you.
Let’s talk about all the small steps that lead to this celebration. Confucius was talking about the importance of “carrying away small stones”. In this quote, I see three possible meanings.
First of all, the small stones could represent the unwanted, the pain, the challenges, the things we do not want to keep. To move this mountain (what we truly want), we need to move away (from) those small stones. Is that making sense to you?
The second explanation I’m thinking of is that the small stones are actually the small steps. It is necessary to notice and appreciate them to appreciate the mountain we have created.
The third thing that this quote makes me think of is how much those small stones - small steps - are indeed crucial in realising this mountain.
Today I wanted to celebrate these thousands of small stones. On the 17th of November 2025, I finally lodged my application for permanent residency. As you might be aware by now, I was not born in Australia. I am a French citizen, and I have been travelling the world since 2016. In 2018, I landed for the first time in Australia. I felt my heart beating faster and my soul whispering: “Do everything you can to stay here. You are meant to be here!” So I finally listened. 7 years later, I am still in Australia. I’ve applied for a total of 8 different visas. It was not an easy path. I can’t lie to you and tell you it was easy because it was NOT! I spend all my energy and most of my savings to the Department of Home Affairs and all things related to visa purposes. It was so worth it! I decided to listen to my calling and work harder to stay in Australia. My adopted country.
After years of stress, doubts, work and tears, we did it, and I need to share this with you all! I’m saying “we” because even if I applied for my permanent residency, I didn’t do this alone. It is always a team effort! This adventure definitely is!
The path is still to be walked. Processing times for this kind of visa stand between 8 to 12 months. Big stress, but I’ve applied! Nothing can stop me. I gave 150% of myself! I gave it all. I can trust myself. I trust the process.
All I have to do is patiently wait and trust my intuition in the first place. 2018 is the year I first landed here. 2026 will be the year I am officially a permanent resident.
Today I am celebrating the mountain we have been building. I wanted to highlight those thousands of small stones that made the mountain rise. Those small steps are so important. Small steps make the bigger picture.
Sometimes, I tend to focus so much on the destination, on the last step. In doing this, I actually don’t appreciate those small actions that made me arrive where I am today.
For instance, do you think I started my running practice by running 10 kilometres in one go? Of course not! I celebrated those 2K, 3K, maybe only 1K some days! And that is absolutely fine!
Success and accomplishment are not linear. It will go down, and it will go up. And it will go back down. I learn so much from those “downs” and they make me appreciate the “ups” even more.
Today is a big “up” and it's worth celebrating!
Tell me about you.
How do you make sense of this philosophical quote?
How much do you celebrate the small wins?
I’m sending you pure and genuine love, filled with light and warmth.
Take care of your whole self, each other, and your community.
Nurture and be mindful of the natural world around you and within you.
Resources
Confucius. (206 BC – 220 AD). The Analects (or Sayings of Confucius).
Written 25/04/2024 and 27/11/2025
Published 27/11/2025
