"The secret of getting ahead is getting started"

Excellent advice... I can think of a number of people that I would poke that bit of "ancient chinese wisdom" towards.  (because you know... Its the job of the Pot to teach the Kettle how to boil water)

which of course makes me think inward and examine how much I am successful or not in my attempts to break free of the inertia that I see in my life.

but the inward path is usually an easier one for me to walk at times.

Easier to keep track of where I'm going since its probably somewhere I've been before, even if its someplace I just don't happen to remember right off *grin*

Which is why I started to do my typical retro engineering attempt of the phrase as an attempt to define the variables of the equation, and I wondered to myself, "Getting ahead of what?"

There are two ways I can see that thought going. 

You need to have a clear idea what you are getting ahead of so you can start moving in the right direction.

Which has one particular set of challenges...  mostly the figuring out for yourself what it is that you need and want.  *grin*

The other path has me considering the fact that for our entire lives we have been hearing about all these different ways to "get ahead" and have been under such pressure to perform and excel in this world (don't get me started on my rant about the boardgame LIFE *wry grin*) that I have to wonder if all the "noise" has gotten to the point that it prevents us from getting anywhere.

Is that why some of the eastern schools of thought promote stillness?

and what does that say about my fortune cookie message?

*grin*