Small steps, great journeys

In November 1998, a 29-year-old British man named Karl Bushby set out on a walk -- around the world. Starting from the southern tip of South America, Bushby planned to travel all the way back to his native England -- without using any form of transportation.

What followed was an extraordinary adventure spanning 28 years, some 30,000 miles, and 29 countries. Along the way, he crossed dangerous jungles, traversed the frozen Bering Strait, and made a historic 184-mile swim across the Caspian Sea.

On October 5, 2026, Bushby finally set foot on British soil. Reflecting on his remarkable journey, he offered a simple observation about what he'd learned.

What did he say?

✨3 Ideas

1. Ordinary people, extraordinary possibilities

As a child, Wilma Rudolph contracted polio and wore a leg brace. Yet in 1960, she won three Olympic gold medals in track and field sprint events.

Her story reminds us that extraordinary accomplishments are possible for those who face formidable obstacles. Each of us possesses strengths, abilities, and possibilities that may be greater than we realize. 

We may never know the full extent of what we’re capable of until we venture beyond what we’ve already done.

2. The extraordinary power of ordinary steps

As a teenager growing up in the Bronx, Colin Powell worked as a clerk and helper in a Jewish-owned store, where he learned a little Yiddish. Decades later, he became chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1991, he surprised Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir by announcing, “Men kent reden Yiddish”— “We can speak Yiddish!”

A small step today may become part of something extraordinary tomorrow.

And the same principle applies closer to home. A deeper friendship, a new skill, or a more generous spirit can grow from seemingly modest actions, repeated over time.

3. What will we do with our potential?

We admire those who accomplish extraordinary things. But there’s an important difference between achieving something remarkable and doing something meaningful.

The measure of our potential isn’t simply what we can accomplish, but how much good we can bring into the world. 

A parent patiently raising a child, a teacher inspiring a struggling student, or someone caring for an aging loved one may be accomplishing something every bit as extraordinary as the achievements that capture the world’s attention.

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📜2 Quotes

“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”
— Proverbs 20:5

“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”
— William Shakespeare

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❓1 Question

What might you be capable of contributing to the lives of others that you’ve given only passing thought to?

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So what did Karl Bushby say after spending 28 years walking around the world?

“All of us can accomplish more than we will ever imagine.”

There are great discoveries awaiting us. We are capable of accomplishing more than we imagine, including contributing more to the lives of others than we ever dreamed possible. Sometimes discovering that potential involves walking around the world. But perhaps more often, it begins by taking one small step toward someone who needs us.

Until next time,
Wishing you a week of small steps, meaningful discoveries, and unexpected possibilities!

Rabbi Ze'ev Smason

P.S. Did you recently accomplish or contribute something that, looking back, surprises you?

P.P.S. What is love, and where does it come from? Here’s a short video reflection from my book, Spiritual Sparks: A Reader [Watch the video]