Over the last few days I’ve had a lot going on. At times it’s felt very overwhelming and like I’m barely keeping my head above water. Even with all of this happening I’ve had to sit back and acknowledge the significance of it all.
On one side I’m completing the process of closing an old part of my life. In a sense I’m writing the end of that chapter. That has given me the need to reflect on some of the things in the past. Converse with the ghost of myself and the spirits that linger from a time that feels surreal. Sometimes sadness bubbles up as you realize that things just didn’t work out how you once thought they would. You reflect on the mistakes you once made yet something is a little different this time. Instead of feelings of regret there lies a measure of peace. The knowledge that you’ve made mistakes, you’ve forgiven yourself for them, and you’ve learned from it. We’ve grown.
That beautiful feeling of closure helps us recognize something else. It helps us recognize that we’ve begun to write a new chapter in our life. A new beginning.
The feeling of being overwhelmed can inspire a little bit of panic but it isn’t always a bad feeling. At the beginning of a new chapter there is a lot of planning taking place, a lot of unknowns, even more questions, worries about what will happen, and a host of other things cascading through our minds. When I feel like that sometimes I need to take a step back. Take a few deep breaths. Go for a walk. Stare off into the sky. Pet my dog. Talk to those closest to me. There are a lot of things I do to gain that perspective and calm my own self-made storm.
That slight sense of panic from being overwhelmed is ok. We’re about to take a step in a new direction. We have general ideas, certain situations, an outline. Yet none of it is written. So the first thing we need to do is start that first sentence in the chapter, take that first step. Put faith in ourselves and our ability and go for it.
Remember. We’re 100% successful at surviving every challenge we’ve ever face. We’ve overcome every hardship, rode out every storm, and grown from each experience.
New beginnings are something to be excited for. I’ve got this, you’ve got this, we’ve got this.
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