What Healing Knows About Small Steps: Breaking the Habit of Waiting for Motivation
- Dr. Kidi
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
Segment 3: Devotion and Discipline
Episode 3
What Healing Knows About Small Steps
Dare to Dream Big
You do not need to feel motivated to begin. Just begin small.
Dare to dream.
Dare to dream big.
Dare to begin with what is in your hands.
Dare to carry it through.
I recently visited the Zoma Museum and Zoma Art Village in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a living testament brought to life by Meskerem (Meski) Assegued and Elias Sime. What stands there now is not only architecture; it is a dream made visible. It is a vision given time to breathe.
In 2006, I stood on the land in Mekanisa where Zoma Museum now stands, just as construction had begun. Sewage ran toward the river. The equatorial heat pressed down on my skin without mercy. The air carried a heavy smell that clung to my clothes and settled deep in my lungs. I remember looking around and struggling to reconcile what I saw with what I had been told would come. In that moment, beauty felt impossible. It was hard to imagine anything sacred rising from soil that seemed so neglected.
Meski, who also happens to be my sister, stood beside me, animated and alive with vision. She pointed in every direction, as if conducting an unseen orchestra.
She described indigenous plants taking root across the land, flowing creeks weaving through the property, small bridges connecting one space to another, mud buildings inspired by thousand-year-old Ethiopian homes, a school where children would learn from the land itself, an art space filled with young creators, and a living museum grounded in land, culture, and memory.
She was not only speaking, she was seeing it clearly. She was standing in the middle of it as if walls had already risen and water already flowed.
I felt inspired, as I always do when Meski shares her dreams. But I am her sister, and love makes room for worry. The land looked too damaged. The vision felt too bold for what stood before us. She had no capital. No heavy machinery. Only a committed partner and a dream strong enough to keep her rooted.
Still, they began. They worked with the land instead of against it. They gathered hands. They shaped the earth. Season by season, the impossible started to take form.
In 2013, the first museum space, Zoma Contemporary Art Center, opened its doors. In 2016, The New York Times described it as “a serene oasis in the midst of bustling Addis Ababa, a sculptural compound where birdsong replaces traffic noise and handcrafted pathways slow the pace of the day.” Zoma was named as one of the “52 Places to Go.”
In 2019, Zoma Museum Mekanisa celebrated its full inauguration.
The land I once struggled to recognize had become the place Meski always manifested. I stood there, taking it in. The pathways. The plants. The mud buildings. The carvings. The birds. The creek. They had done it.
Before I could fully absorb what was already built with such precision and intention, Meski told me she was ready to begin again. This time on the steep terrain of Entoto Mountain.
She described terracing the mountain while honoring its natural contours, preserving indigenous plants, and creating access for everyone. Her voice carried the same clarity, the same steady conviction. This time, my enthusiasm rose faster. I had seen what vision and persistence could do in Zoma Mekanisa. I knew she could do this.
.
Then she said something that made me pause.
“We will respect the land and follow its lead,” she said. “No machines. No bulldozers. We will build by hand because it will be difficult to avoid destroying the natural flora and fauna if we bring in heavy machinery.”
I nodded.
I understood her philosophy.
I believed in her commitment.
Still, the sister in me surfaced, and I said what I often say when she shares her extraordinary dreams.
“ለጎንሽ እያሰብሽ.”Le gonish eyasebsh.
Do not forget to take care of yourself.
Five years later, Zoma Art Village Entoto stands carved into the mountain. Built from earth and natural materials, the structures hold art, gardens, learning spaces, and gathering places. Nothing feels forced. The mountain remained. The buildings rise gently from the terrain, as if they have always belonged there.
All my life, I have watched Meski build what others called impossible. From Harla to the Bale Mountains to Sof Omar Caves, each vision stretched beyond what seemed reasonable.
Each time, she dreamed boldly.
Each time, she started with what she had.
Each time, she took small steps.
Each time, she refused to break the chain.
She stayed until the work matched the dream.
I share this story because what I learned from watching Zoma take shape applies to everything we do, including our healing. Small steps matter, but they must move toward something meaningful. They must answer a dream worthy of the effort.
So I challenge you to dare to dream fully.
Not just for relief from symptoms.
Not just for survival.
But for vitality, creativity, peace, and wholeness.
From Dream to Vision to Momentum
Your dream becomes a vision when you decide it matters.
Your vision becomes your why.
Your why carries you when excitement fades.
We often believe change begins with motivation.
We wait to feel ready.
We wait for clarity.
We wait for energy.
When motivation rises, we begin. When it fades, we stop.
This pattern creates a cycle of starting and stopping.
Meski did not wait for motivation. She dreamed boldly and walked the land as if the museum already stood there. She spoke about it as something unfolding, not something that might happen. Her vision was clear, and that clarity pulled her forward.
Then she took a small step.
She refined it.
She repeated it.
She adjusted when obstacles appeared.
Step by step, progress emerged.
Progress created small wins.
Small wins built confidence.
Confidence built momentum.
Momentum generated motivation.
And then she began again.
Do Not Break the Chain
When Meski told me she would build Zoma Village without disturbing what already lived there, and without heavy machinery, I asked her how.
“One stone at a time. And don’t break the chain,” she said.
That phrase guided every decision.
They terraced the mountain using ancient methods. Workers carried stones by hand. Each block was carved manually. Pathways curved gently so children, elders, and visitors of all abilities could walk safely. Indigenous plants remained. The land was followed, not forced.
One afternoon, as I walked along the winding paths, I heard a rhythmic sound.
Click. Click. Click.
I followed it into the trees where men crouched beside large stones, tapping on their chisels with steady focus, shaping rocks into sculptures.
No rush.
No spectacle.
Just one small chip at a time.
Click. Click. Click.
I looked from the unfinished stones to the completed structures rising from the hillside. The transformation felt difficult to comprehend.
Men and women passed by, carrying carved stones to join the growing walls.
Carve. Transport. Place.
Carve. Transport. Place.
One stone at a time.
Until Zoma stands, its identity etched into every hand-carved block.
To Conclude
There is no clearer metaphor for healing than the making of Zoma Museum and Zoma Art Village. From that understanding, I created the Tinfash Healing Chain: A daily practice of one small step, repeated until it becomes who you are.
This is a simple practice you can follow.
Step 1. Name it.
Ask yourself, what part of me needs healing? What have I been postponing?
Step 2. Imagine it.
Dream as if you are already there. Visualize yourself living in wholeness.
Step 3. Shrink it.
Choose one small step toward your lived vision. Make it small enough to repeat on your hardest days.
Step 4. Do it.
Take the step.
Step 5. Mark it.
Place a small circle in your notebook or on your calendar and begin building your chain. You can even turn it into a simple design and watch the pattern grow with each day you return.
Step 6. Repeat it.
Do not break the chain for more than one or two links. If it breaks, begin again. Continue the chain.
These actions are not dramatic.
They are consistent.
Consistency creates predictability.
Predictability builds confidence.
Confidence builds resilience.
Resilience allows the body to return to balance, again and again.
And over time, that repetition becomes who you are.
Zoma did not rise from motivation. It rose because a dream was translated into small, repeated acts of devotion. One stone at a time.
Tinfash: Dr. Kidi’s Healing Space
This healing space is called Tinfash, the Amharic word for breath. Because breath is the most faithful practice we have.
You do not have to remember it.
You do not have to do it well.
It keeps returning.
This healing space is called Tinfash, the Amharic word for breath.
Because breath is the most faithful practice we have.
A Moment for MeditationGuided Tinfash 5C meditation filmed at Zoma Art Village in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, focusing on small daily rituals that support healing and nervous system regulation.
A Journal Invitation
Writing by hand helps you slow down and listen more closely. It connects your thoughts to your body and invites honesty without the need to edit. This kind of presence supports deep healing. Your words do not need to be perfect. They only need to be yours. Let your words arrive just as they are.What small step can you repeat that brings you closer to the life you want to live?
A Healing Mantra
Mantras are healing because they steady the nervous system. They interrupt spiraling thoughts and help your body feel safe enough to soften.
Choose a quiet moment.
Sit, stand, or lie down.
Take one slow breath in and a gentle breath out.
Repeat the mantra softly, out loud or in your mind.
Let it move with your breath. I build my healing one small step at a time.
A Call to ActionAs a doctor and a fellow human, so much of what I know about healing has come from meaningful exchanges with people like you. Our shared stories and quiet beginnings teach me again and again that there is wisdom in simply starting.
I would love to hear your thoughts about beginning again.
I am here for you.
I am also here to grow alongside you.
If you have suggestions, ideas, or requests, share them in the comments. You can also jot down your reflections and send me a screenshot.
If you feel moved, review, rate, and share this with a friend who may be ready to reconnect with their own healing.
Visit drkidi.com for more reflections from What Healing Knows.
Follow @drkidi.healing to join a community learning to return to themselves, one gentle moment at a time.
To read my short stories go to Substack @drkidi.
With that, we have begun our healing connection.
Until next time,
Embrace the journey. Keep listening. Healing knows the way.
Love and more love,
Dr. Kidi
so much to learn.