Making a New Beginning

When beginnings come after a definite ending and time hanging out in the neutral zone, they have great power. They are marked by a release of new energy in a new direction. They are the expression of a new identity.

But beginnings are not easy. Every new beginning confirms that the ending you experienced was real. You will feel again a sense of the original loss. And you may worry that this new beginning might not be the right one for you, or that you might fail.

That is normal. It is part of the process.

For seniors, new beginnings can take many forms. A new volunteer role. A new relationship. A new hobby. A new home. A new community. Each of these is an opportunity to express who you are now, not who you used to be.

But they can also be scary. What if you do not fit in? What if you are not good at it? What if it does not work out?

Here is what I have learned: the new beginning does not have to be perfect. It does not have to be your final destination. It just has to be a step. A step in a new direction. A step that confirms that you have made an ending and are ready for something new.

If you are struggling to make a new beginning, try this: think of it as an experiment. You do not have to commit forever. You are just trying something to see if it fits. You can always try something else.

The seniors I know who have thrived in their later years are the ones who have been willing to make new beginnings. They have not settled for the first thing that came along. But they have been willing to take a step, even when they were not sure where it would lead.

They have been willing to lose sight of the shore. What is one small new beginning you could make this week? Not a big commitment. Just a step. An experiment.

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