The Magic Of Beginnings
“And suddenly you know; it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”
Image Credit @nampoh/unsplash.com/@nampoh
The beginning of a new year always brings forth many feelings for me. There is the inevitable review of the past twelve months – the special moments, the difficult words, the things that were to happen but didn’t. There is an attempt to put conversations and events in perspective and to find meaning in what has been.
I have found I need to be intentional about what I hold onto and, for my sanity and peace of mind, what I need to let go of. The “letting go” part is hard, but I don’t want disappointments, resentments, or hurt feelings to accompany me into the new year. I want to hold onto the laughter, the kind words, and the irreplaceable special times. And once I can get all of that in focus, I can look ahead.
A new year shouts out loud that this is a time to begin again. For many, New Year’s resolutions are made quickly and with much grandiosity, and most likely, they will be discarded by mid-February or before. I’m not a fan of such things. The beginning of a new year calls me to weigh my priorities. What is important to me? How will I spend my time? What do I want to accomplish? Who do I want to be? I won’t have those questions answered in the first few days of the new year. I will consider them throughout the year.
In describing her current situation, a colleague told me, “I don’t want this to be my story.” I have thought about that comment a lot over the years – how my situation at any given time, my story, doesn’t have to be the story of my life. I can write my own story at any given moment because I can choose what’s important to me, how I spend my time, what I want to accomplish, and how I relate to others.
Is that not magical? We get to choose our story. Life events dictate our circumstances, but we choose who we will be within those circumstances. A broken relationship may not be a choice, but how we respond is. A job change may not be a choice, but how we respond going forward is. A cancer diagnosis is not a choice, but who we will be within that context is: A victim? A fighter? A survivor? Defeated? Determined? Depressed? Hopeful?
It may be time to start something new – a new hobby, a new book, a new job, a new relationship, or a new outlook. It may be time to abandon old ways and begin new habits. It may be time to clean out emotional baggage and find new ways of relating to and viewing the world. It may be time to stop focusing on the past and begin focusing on new possibilities. It’s a time of beginnings, and it’s all a choice.
If only we could trust the magic of beginnings.
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