March 31 brought the month of March to an end. April 1 brought the beginning to the month of April. March 31 also brought the professional career of my dear friend, Karen, to an end with her retirement. April 1 brought a new beginning to her. Her retirement createed a change for her and as is common with change, something ends but something new begins.
Major changes (such as retirements, graduations, the unexpected loss of a loved one, relocations…) do bring an end (the point at which something no longer continues to happen or exist) to something. But, close on the heels of that end is a new beginning (something that is not known at this point in time when something starts). And, as Paulo Coehlo reminds us, “If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.”
No matter what circumstances (happy or sad; by choice or forced) bring about that new hello – that new beginning – we should approach it as a “magical” time. Probably the most “magical” time in our lives was when we were children. Remember when you were a free spirit? When your imagination ran wild? When you were creative beyond reason? When your days were filled with laugher, fun, and joy? When you were wildly happy about anything and everything? When you weren’t afraid to take a risk or make a mistake? When you bounced back from any type of disruption? When you lived in the moment? This is what new beginnings are all about.
New beginnings allow us to reconnect with our inner child. Our inner child allows us to approach and deal with situations as young children do – with resilience, joy, happiness, creativity, enthusiasm, and wide-eyed wonder. What we don’t know or can’t see in our changed environment often throws us for a loop. The change that brings about the new beginning may have us questioning ourselves. Sometimes our confidence erodes. Our comfort zone shifts or disappears. Fear, anger, doubt, frustration – any number of emotions and feelings – may overcome us. But, what if we allowed the part of our childlike wonder – the child’s ability to trust in what can’t be seen or what isn’t yet known – to take over and guide us in our approach to or in our decision making within our new beginning? The enthusiastic, happy, creative nature of our inner child can be a huge help in overcoming any paralyzing effects of change that may follow us into our new beginning.
So, this week, I have a five tips to help us all find the magic in our new beginnings:
M – make time
A – again/do overs
G – golden opportunities/possibilities
I – introspection
C – childlike wonder
MAKE TIME. It is important in our new beginning to make time for our dreams; our passions. Take the time to try new things and do things we never took the time to do before. Take the time to “smell the roses.” As Dale Carnegie reminds us, “One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today.”
AGAIN. New beginnings provide us the opportunity for do overs. Anything that we may have tried before and failed at or didn’t do quite to par, the new beginning gives us a fresh start to try again. Young children don’t fear making a mistake. When they do, they learn from it. They figure out what they did wrong and work to right it. We may be afraid to try a creative solution or try something new because we fear failure. Think how much easier it would be to deal with change and whatever it throws your way if you take a step back, take a deep breath, and look at what is facing you with “childlike wonder.” See something for the “first time.” Be fearless. Think: so what if I make a mistake or fail. Think: what is the wildest thing I can think of to solve this issue or deal with this problem?
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES. The new beginning opens us up to so many new possibilities. Ask what if, why, and why not questions. Seek to learn want to know more about things. Look at things as a child would; explore things with a “beginner’s” mind. Don’t let expectations constrain you. Dare to be like a child and go outside the lines. Walk on the wild side. (Create your own reality like Harold did in the children’s book Harold and the Purple Crayon.) Let your imagination run wild and free. Be more creative, imaginative, innovative, divergent, or just plain different in how we deal with or solve whatever we’re facing in the new beginning. Remain open at all times to receive the unexpected as well as what we think is coming. Start each day with an open mind about opportunities that may come your way. Be ready for the who, what, where, when, and why of each day. “Anticipate the day as if it was your birthday again and you are turning six again.” (Mike Dolan)
INTROSPECTION. Life is a journey. The process of introspection (or self-reflection) is the GPS on that journey. The process can reaffirm that we are on the right road or it can alert us that we need to “recalculate” where we are headed. Our new beginning is a great time to take stock of ourselves, reflecting on where we’ve been and where we want to head. This should be a time of honest and constructive self-assessment. As Carl Sandberg said, “It is necessary…for a man to go away by himself…to sit on a rock…and ask, who am I, where have I been, and where am I going?” The new beginning is a perfect time to do as Sandberg advises.
CHILDLIKE WONDER. Childlike wonder is an attitude; it is a way of seeing the magic in simple things and finding the fun and joy in simple things. Childlike wonder allows us to: have little or no fear of the unknown, venture out of our comfort zone, be imaginative and creative, have little or no fear of failure, be a visionary, take on challenges, believe we can achieve whatever we conceive, and try new things. This is the attitude we need in our new beginning.
Dodinsky says, “Here is to NEW BEGINNINGS…yes you can reset your life at anytime! Another wonderful opportunity to better our lives, work on our dreams, appreciate life’s little gifts (that we sometimes ignore) and brave the challenges ahead.” If we trust the magic of new beginnings and approach them with the heart of our inner child, our days in the new beginning will be exciting beyond belief.
Let your inner child guide you in your new beginning. Exude unbridled joy, boundless energy, a free-spirited nature, a wild imagination, creativity, happiness, enthusiasm, resilience, stamina, laughter, fun, curiosity, and a sense of wonder. Leo F. Buscaglia wrote, “I am often accused of being childish. I prefer to interpret that as child-like. I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things. I tend to exaggerate and fantasize and embellish. I still listen to instinctual urges. I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind. I never water my garden without soaking myself. It has been after such times of joy that I have achieved my greatest creativity and produced my best work.” Buscaglia’s advice is perfect to help us deal with the changes, with the new beginnings in our life. Perhaps we can achieve our greatest creativity and produce our finest work (as we step into our new beginning) after releasing our inner child. To all my friends, faithful readers, and especially Karen, “Tag, you’re it!”
Author Becky Johnen 