So many people find new beginnings hard to process and adjust to and it’s no surprise.
When we aren’t open-minded about whatever new beginning we are experiencing, we reduce the capabilities that it has to make us into better people.
Whether we hate starting over or love a fresh start, we must learn to open ourselves to new beginnings so that we can adjust appropriately.
Find out why you’ve struggled with new beginnings before
In times where we find ourselves struggling to open ourselves to new opportunities, we must consider why. Why do you think you can’t push yourself? Why can’t you come out of your normal schedule?
Think about whether this is because you are holding onto something in the past that is now affecting the way you see new beginnings.
In some cases, when we’ve experienced trauma, it makes us scared of coming out of our comfort zones. We don’t know what lies ahead on the paths opened up to us. That can feel overwhelming, anxious and terrifying so our minds want us to stay where we feel comforted and secure.
But new beginnings hold so much potential for us to nurture, should we choose to. If you are wanting to embrace them, you’ve got to let go of whatever it is that’s holding you back. Identify what has made you so worried about trying something new and why it’s continued to affect you.
Let go of what you left behind
With new beginnings comes the end of something else. And these ends, whether they’re good or bad, are hard to let go of and taint the opportunities that lie in front of us.
To truly embrace a new start, we must learn to let go of the past. That doesn’t mean that you have to completely start over with a new life – you can if you want to – but if we never let go of everything we wouldn’t have the space in our lives for all the new good things that are coming our way. We must make space to be able to fill it.
A big part of leaving things behind is making your peace with it. Whatever it is you’re letting go of, you need to heal and feel satisfied with how you’re leaving it. Remember to think positively when you do this.
Consider past new beginnings and what they’ve taught you
Were you the type of person that used to embrace new beginnings or have you always been scared of them? Either way, you’ve spent a lifetime of experiencing new beginnings, whether you realised it or not.
You won’t remember but we learned so much when we were babies and had so many ‘firsts’. As a child, we don’t know what fear is until it’s been instilled in us from external factors, like when your parents tell you to ‘be careful’.
As we grow up, we start new things, like moving school, moving house and finding hobbies. These are all ‘firsts’ and may seem scary or unknown at first, but hold a lot of meaning too. Things happen for a reason and life can take us in many different directions with every action that we take.
Think back to a time when you experienced something new. What direction did it take you in? And how did you feel about it? What was the outcome and has it bettered your life or taught you something?
New beginnings can be scary because of the unknown but sometimes the unknown can be exciting. Everything has its possibilities and we choose which ones we make happen, sometimes subconsciously.
Imagine your future if you embraced the opportunities
One tip you can do is to start with taking some deep breaths, close your eyes and clear your mind. Now, imagine if you had the mindset of when you were a child, when you felt fearless and adventurous. Imagine where this new beginning could take you if you didn’t fear failure, resentment or hurt.
Whatever you think of, know that that is possible and you are capable of it if you put the work in.
Identify what parts of your life could thrive or improve
Another thing you can do to open your mind is to identify what parts of your life are going to be better with this change. If it’s a career change, will you be treated better at work or financially better off?
If you can’t find a part of your life that is going to improve, then this new thing you’re doing may not be the best idea.
Find examples of people who’ve thrived in your situation
If you’re worried about what this new opportunity will bring, talk to someone who’d been through something similar. The joy of the internet is that you can reach out to pretty much anyone you want. One of the places I’ve had most success with contacting and receiving advice is through facebook groups. People all over the world will comment, give me their point of view and encourage me. It’s honestly amazing to have complete strangers use their time to help you and cheer you on.
Contact someone and ask their advice and their stories. Someone out there might be going through the exact same thing or you’ll find someone who’s been through it before and wants to share some wisdom. I guarantee you, you’re not the first or the only one going through this.
Name the possibilities your new beginnings could hold
Write down all the treasures that this new beginning could bring. Doing this will help you to see how many great possibilities it could hold.
I’m a big fan of writing things down, whether it’s to remember something, to reflect or just to put pen to paper and write.
Writing things down can help you to also make sense of how you’re feeling so actively thinking about what the future holds and making a note of them can help you to figure out what you want this new beginning to bring. If you are writing a lot of negatives down, stop and take a breather and try again later. If you continue to do this, go back to the earlier points about identifying the problem.
Let your mind let them in – be open and ready to receive
Sometimes it’s just the way that we’re wired that stops us embracing new beginnings. Some people don’t like change because life is fine without mixing things up. That’s okay. But I don’t want to go through life thinking everything is fine.
I want to be amazed every day, have something surprise me often and something to make me smile all the time. New things have that effect on me daily.
Try telling yourself that you’re open and ready for good things to come in. This way you are willing to only attract positive thoughts, feelings and people to enter your life.
Allow yourself a little relief and stop putting the barriers up. Let’s be more open to the possibilities that the world holds. Let’s actively seek them out and allow them to make beautiful changes to our lives.
