Albert Einstein was once a baby.
Before he formulated relativity, unraveled light’s secrets, and became the shorthand for “genius,” Einstein spit up on his caregivers, failed to stop wobbling when they tried to sit him up, and wore tiny clothes that got covered in mashed peas.
Same goes for Joan of Arc. Michael Jordan. Isaac Newton. Even your parents were babies (although, as you’ve long suspected, it’s possible they were hatched from eggs).
We all start at zero in that way. Not just at birth, but every time we face something new. Every skill we learn, every relationship we build, every challenge we face. Everyone who’s ever been good at anything started exactly where you may be right now: at zero.
Maybe you grew up amid the nothing of Bumfuck, Earth. In a flavorless monoculture. Never had the time, resources, encouragement, or privilege to access diverse ideas. Didn’t have folks who could hand you an emotional toolkit or service manual for the soul. Maybe you grew up hearing (and believing) that reading books was a waste of time, a hobby for dorks/pussies.
But maybe you were also blessed with common sense. And at some point, you realized that staying immature and ignorant, that staying at zero emotionally and spiritually, is for the spineless.
Maybe you’re reading this because you feel like you’re at zero in some areas of your life.
Give yourself some grace if you’re at zero. It’s the perfect place to start.