New beginnings - what a fitting theme for a new year, wouldn’t you agree?
We always talk about New Year’s Resolutions, which are a perfect example of new beginnings. You make the commitment to yourself that you will exercise every day, or that you will eat healthy, or will start that new hobby you’ve always wanted to try. It is a conscious decision that things can no longer stay the same and that a change is needed in order for your life to improve - the quality of your life.
New beginnings can happen in a new year, a new decade - and we would all agree that the 2020 decade started with much hope, and quickly disappointed, to say the least. And with 2021 staring, even greater hopes are arising, for a better future.
These are most noticeable New Beginnings time frames, but we need to remind ourselves that no matter the month, the year, the decade, every single day is a new beginning. The sun rises every morning for us and tells us, here is a new beginning for you, here is another chance, new opportunities coming your way. And when the sun sets at the end of the day, it is time for us to review, be grateful, and let go of what dragged us down, annoyed us, no longer serves us. Every single day you have this opportunity to start afresh. It is also a conscious decision in the same vein as New Year Resolutions, but maybe more manageable as, it is well-known that New Year Resolutions often get forgotten after a few weeks, whereas every day is more definite and not as long a time commitment. If you feel you fail one day, it does not mean you will fail the next day. It is up to you. You always have a choice how you can respond to events around you and how you feel. Every morning, at the end of my meditation, I always tell myself an intention for the day, such as “today is gonna be fun/amazing/full of joy”, “today I will focus on doing my best in everything”. Obviously depending on how I feel and what is scheduled for that day, I will model the intention to what I will need.
Of course, some new beginnings are somewhat forced upon us, such as losing a loved one, losing a job, as many have in 2020 with the pandemic. In this case, the grieving process is essential in order to be able to build the foundations of a strong, stable and positive new beginning. There is not a lot more that I will offer as advice or guidance in this matter as I strongly believe, first, that the grieving process is very personal and takes many forms that need to be respected by all - including the person grieving -, and also that it needs to be supported by professionals and trained personnel or organisations such as Samaritans (there are many more around the world, just do a Google search in your area or country). Only when you have grieved and accepted your loss, whatever it may be, will your mind be clear enough to decide what to do next, what your next step needs to be.
What new beginnings do you wish for?
What are you going to do to put them into plan and action this year?
What new beginnings did you choose in 2020?
What new beginnings were forced upon you in 2020?
How did both of these feel?
We all have had new beginnings throughout our life, that is what got us where we are right now. So while new beginnings can be and feel scary, especially when forced upon us and feel out of our control, but not exclusively, you are strong enough for the next one, because you have done this before, and you made it. Reviewing the challenges and new beginnings of the last year, last decade, even just the last few months, will bring you more awareness on what you have gone through, what you have overcome, give yourself some credit, what your strengths are and how you can use them for any future new beginnings, all can get you prepared and pumped up to initiate the new beginnings that will transform your life into the one you were put on this earth to live, fulfilled and happy, and enjoy.
Many blessings for your new beginnings ❤️
