A famous quote from LaoZi states: "A journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one's feet". Over time this sentence was popularized as "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".
Paraphrasing both, I say - "Every journey begins with an idea".
An idea is a contextual creature, rooted in circumstances and infused with imagination. The circumstances in which it's formed and held bind it to its past and present, while imagination charges it with a potential to shape our future.
The journey roughens itself out even before any step is taken physically.
So, I'd like this to be the first step of our Shadow training. Before we start discussing Shadow concepts, terminologies, tools and practices - let's take a moment to focus and gain awareness of our past-present circumstances and of the tendencies which drive our futuristic visions.
Now is a good time to reflect:
Who are we?
Who and what make our social and environmental ties?
What ideas do we relate to? How did we encounter them?
What are the challenges we face?
What do we want?
What do we expect from this journey we're about to begin?
Who or what do we wish to become?
The answers need not be easy, or simple, or complicated, or long or short. They don't even have to always be, or can be a sincere "I don't know, but...".
These answers are bound to change anyway, as we ourselves will change in the process. What matters is the act of reflection itself and the (self)honesty of our evaluation.
These answers are the nourishment that will sustain us on our journey. They're both our vehicle and the fuel which powers it. Their truthfulness to ourselves will determine their quality and their usefulness.
Keep them real.