--- Kathy Lette, quoted in "The meaning and origin of the expression: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" on The Phrase Finder
From the article
The proverb 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step' is first found in the Tao Te Ching, which is a classical Chinese Taoist text usually credited to Laozi (a.k.a. Lao Tzu), and probably written between the 4th and 6th century BC. The original text is:
"A journey of a thousand li [a Chinese mile] starts beneath one's feet"
. . .
The 'self-help' nature of the phrase has led to some parody, including this from the Anglo/Australian writer Kathy Lette:
A journey of self-discovery starts with a single step… But so does falling down a flight of stairs.
