Encouragement Quote by George MacDonald
““Anybody with leisure can do that who is willing to begin where everything ought to be begun--that is, at the beginning. Nothing worth calling good can or ever will be started full grown. The essential of any good is life, and the very body of created life, and essential to it, being its self operant, is growth. The larger start you make, the less room you leave for life to extend itself. You fill with the dead matter of your construction the places where assimilation ought to have its perfect work, building by a life-process, self-extending, and subserving the whole. Small beginnings with slow growings have time to root themselves thoroughly--I do not mean in place nor yet in social regard, but in wisdom. Such even prosper by failures, for their failures are not too great to be rectified without injury to the original idea.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Phantastes by George MacDonald, 1858
Great works must start small and grow organically; rushing creates lifeless structures that hinder true development.
In simple terms: Start small, let growth happen naturally.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate humble beginnings.
Themes
growth
humility
process
creation
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal projects
- business startups
- creative writing
- skill learning
Key Concepts
organic development
self‑organizing systems
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you ensure your projects begin with room to grow?
- What small steps can you take today?
A Different Perspective
Large initial efforts can stifle natural evolution and lead to failure.
![“I wish I had [made that song]. No, I don't That would be to take it from somebody else. But it's mine for all that.' 'What makes it yours?' 'I love it so.' 'Does loving a thing make it yours?' 'I think so, Mother -- at least more than anything else can. . . . Love makes the only myness,' said…” quote by George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/722/george-macdonald-295_love_i-wish-i-had-made-that-song-no-i-don-t-t_35103.jpg)
