Until one is Committed ......

'But when I said that nothing had been done I erred in one important matter. We had definitely committed ourselves and were halfway out of our ruts. We had put down our passage money--booked a sailing to Bombay. This may sound too simple, but is great in consequence.

UNTIL ONE IS COMMITTED,

THERE IS HESITANCY

THE CHANCE TO DRAW BACK,

ALWAYS INEFFECTIVENESS.

CONCERNING ALL ACTS OF INITIATIVE AND CREATION,

THERE IS ONE ELEMENTARY TRUTH,

THE IGNORANCE OF WHICH KILLS

COUNTLES IDEAS AND PLANS:

THAT THE MOMENT ONE DEFINITELY COMMITS ONESELF,

THEN PROVIDENCE MOVES TOO.

ALL SORTS OF THINGS OCCUR

TO HELP ONE THAT WOULD

OTHERWISE NEVER HAVE OCCURRED.

A WHOLE STREAM OF EVENTS

ISSUES FROM THE DECISION,

RAISING IN ONE'S FAVOR

ALL MANNER OF UNFORESEEN INCIDENTS AND

MEETINGS AND MATERIAL ASSISTANCE,

WHICH NO MAN

COULD HAVE DREAMT WOULD HAVE COME HIS WAY.

I HAVE LEARNED A DEEP RESPECT

FOR ONE OF GOETHE'S COUPLETS:

WHATEVER

YOU

CAN DO, OR DREAM YOU CAN,

BEGIN IT.

BOLDNESS HAS GENIUS,

POWER

and

MAGIC

IN IT.

W.N. Murray.

Scottish Himalayan Expedition, 1951