Beginnings

Though no one can go back and make a brand-new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand-new ending.

~Carl Bard

It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.

~Eckhart von Hochheim (Meister Eckhart)

 

Have you ever found yourself going down a path that you know isn’t right?

We may feel we’re stuck on that path, that the events that led us here will lead us relentlessly in the same direction.

We may feel that we’ve messed up, or dropped the ball, and that we can’t escape the consequences.

I’ve had several times in my life when I knew (or later realized) that I was on the wrong path—that I had done, or was still doing, something stupid (smoking, staying in unhealthy relationships, making poor choices). But I was shortsighted or pigheaded or oblivious—or a combination of the three.

When we feel like this, it can be helpful to find a quiet moment and think about:

• Our motivations for doing something we know is harmful (or not doing something we should be)
• How we feel when we continue along the wrong path
• The triggers or habits that lead us in the wrong direction
• The consequences of our actions (or inactions)

If we consider all these facets, it can help us to recognize the nature of the choices we make, why we make them, what we hope to accomplish, and what influences them.

Even if we have done something that has already caused negative consequences, we always have the opportunity to deal with those choices and the consequences in a positive way moving forward.

Each moment we live has the potential for a new beginning—in any part of our lives. Each moment can be an ending and a new beginning.

Sometimes, however, we may feel weary about our path, and the energy it takes to switch gears can seem overwhelming. We might be caught up in a pattern of bad choices that we feel we can’t escape from. In these situations we might just call a timeout. We might give ourselves a few hours (or a few days) to regroup, reflect, and contemplate our situation. Then we choose a specific time for a new beginning.

When we feel overwhelmed, we might say, “I’ll start fresh in the morning.” There’s something about the morning that can make the tribulations of the previous day seem less heavy. The new day can be hopeful—a natural new beginning.

We might start a new beginning on a particular day that holds some significance for us: the end of a project, the beginning of a new year, a birthday, an anniversary, a new season. Whatever it is, if it has meaning for you, it can be symbolic of a new beginning.

For me, spring is always a great time for a new beginning. Something about the weather getting warm again and the grass and flowers starting to grow gives me a sense of hope and renewed purpose. Some of the biggest changes in my life have happened in the spring.

BUT, we should never use a date or time in the future as an excuse to continue on a harmful path. This can lead to a pattern of saying to ourselves that we’ll start fresh the next day, and then it becomes the next and the next. If we choose a new beginning, we have to be honest with ourselves and keep our promise.

It can also be helpful to keep in mind that each deviation we take from a bad path doesn’t have to be a dramatic U-turn. Even a small change leads us down a slightly different path, and although it appears our direction hasn’t changed that much, it has changed—which means it can change more.

We make choices in every moment, and every single one of those choices is ours to make (see Choice). Taking ownership of our path is a big part of being happy.

Time spent wishing we didn’t do something could be time spent not doing it, and unlike regret, it is time well spent and time we can take strength from.

Every breath we take has the potential for a new beginning.

We can begin right now.

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