A New Beginning

by Raymund Tamayo

The first month of the year is usually a time of new beginnings. It’s a refreshing reminder of the opportunity we have to renew ourselves, to start over, to begin again.

At work, this is also the time for planning and preparing. For sorting first things first. Sometimes it is hard to choose and too many “things to do” overlap and create much stress.

In life, it’s the same.

We are pushed and pulled in so many directions, and hear so many voices shouting at us to do this or that, we can’t hear ourselves any longer. We know what’s best, what’s right, what we need to do. But we’ve gotten lost in the disarray.

Yet the truth is we can always create a new beginning. Even when we have made mistakes, failed, and things have all gone wrong. Anytime is a good time for a fresh start.

We can begin right now to solve problems that have lingered for a while. We can bring an end to any unfinished business. We can break old habits, reorganize our priorities, and start something new.

Right now.

We can turn a new leaf anytime once we set out our minds and hearts to do so.

New beginnings start by getting rid of the old and tried. We embark on things that we haven’t tried. We become more aggressive with ourselves and stop thinking that someone or something is in our way.

The quicker we put in the work, disciplines, and right attitude, the sooner we will experience the miracles life has to offer.

I write this because I realize that every day, every moment, we have the opportunity to reinvent ourselves. We can start over and become the person we want to be. We can’t do everything, we can't be everything, and we can’t know everything… but we have the choice of what we want to be.

There is so much in life to choose from. To begin a new beginning, we must listen closely to our intuition, which reminds us of what is really most important.

When I was in college and would feel overwhelmed with studies and my many extra curricular activities (I was sports editor of our college paper, chairman of our student organization, and basketball player), my mom would always remind me, “The cream will rise to the top.” She meant that the most important would always make itself evident, and I would get it done if I focused on it.

We need to let the cream rise to the top of our lives. That’s the essence of minimalism.

I would love to hear about your experiences with new beginnings. Share it with all of us in the comments. It is wonderful when we can impart these inspiring and uplifting moments in our lives.