Time to Start Over - A New Year, A New You, A New Us

Now, at the dawn of the New Year, many of us aspire to embrace a fresh start and new chances. But when does a beginning truly start? It begins when we realize the previous chapter is over. When we can no longer patch up the broken pieces or mend the torn ones. When we feel confined and sense the need for change. When we confront and let go of old problems instead of running away from them. It starts when we’re ready to step out of our current state. When we seek a turning point, a breakthrough.

When we understand where we want to go. When we’re prepared to make decisions and take responsibility for them. So, when does a beginning start? Long before its visible manifestations. It begins with the ideas and visions that capture our minds and dominate our conversations until we sense their reality. A beginning starts when we call into existence the visible from the invisible. When we seize the moment. What we are today is a direct outcome of the decisions we made yesterday, and tomorrow’s self will grow from the choices we embrace today. In tough beginnings, the guidance of experienced advisors can be invaluable. Beginnings are challenging.

They are fragile and require a lot of care to nurture. They fill us with excitement and enthusiasm but also provoke resistance from the familiar and established. Beginnings are often accompanied by malice, envy, and gossip. They are times when many ideals are shattered, theories are tested in practice, and reality may differ from expectations. For these reasons, it’s crucial to be entirely honest, genuine, and open when laying the foundation of something new.

Hypocrisy and lies can smother anything at its birth. At the start, we might feel uncertain, doubt the outcome, or fear the unknown. That’s why our support must come from positive thinking and the expectation of success. It’s essential to move step by step, celebrating every victory and every achievement until we find new inner peace and confidence. We need to measure our strength - how big a beginning we can handle right now. We might start by overcoming one bad habit and replacing it with a good one. This will give us the strength to move forward.

For me, a good metaphor for beginnings is spring flowers. They break through the frozen, hard ground. They grow in cold, windy, and cloudy conditions. They survive the harshest weather. Yet, they are so fragile and exude such a lovely fragrance. Inspired by their example, we can overcome ourselves and gift ourselves a new beginning!

Happy New Year!