When asked for her opening statement, she opens up about her experience with impoverished children, saying, "Working with some of the poorest areas in my country, I found that it was a lack of child support-not poverty-that killed their dreams. When she was selected as one of the finalists in the Top 20, host Steve Harvey asked the singer and musician, "If you were gonna write a song about your experience here in Miss Universe, what would you call it?" Gray wasted no time in answering, "Well, you know what, Steve, as Miss Philippines, I've always felt the love and support of the Filipino people, and I think I brought half of my country here tonight and so I would name my song, 'Raise Your Flag,' because I stand here not as one, but as 104 million FIlipinos!" If there’s a journey that you’ve been putting off, consider just starting where you are and letting things develop as you go.Here's everything she said during the competition-because you just know it's what everyone will be quoting from now on: None of us are finished products, but that okay. Wisdom shows that the journey itself is what’s important and the lessons learned along the way. Even in their case, it all starts with that first step. What you see is the finished product or the end of that thousand mile journey. With few exceptions, even the most talented artists spend incredible amounts of time perfecting their work. When you see a great piece of art or read a novel that touches you deeply, it’s easy to assume that the artist didn’t have to work hard, that their sheer talent was what created it and that you couldn’t possibly do something like that. As humans, we often underestimate just how much we can accomplish if we have persistence and some consistent effort. What this brings to mind is that even the most incredible journey or story begins with where you are now. “Even the longest journey must begin where you stand.”
“The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one’s feet.” Here are a couple of different possible translations. Other translations of this quote bring some different thoughts. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” But is that what we really need? One thing is for sure – if you never start, you’ll never go on a journey. We all want a map for our life, for someone to tell us what we should do so that we can follow the directions and get to someplace important. Have you ever been paralyzed by a decision? What should I do? Where should I go from here? Sometimes, having many options can be overwhelming.