Lost and Finding Joy

AH Spring! It’s finally here: The sunshine, the beautiful flowers, and trees with those brand new lime green leaves. Yes! It feels good being in nature working in the flowerbeds, planting gardens, and mowing the lawn. It’s enjoyable watching your children, (in my case — grandchildren), play in the yard. What a wonderful feeling and beautiful sight. It’s nature’s new birth — it’s new beginnings.

I have a painting by Thomas Kinkade called, “Gate of New Beginnings.” When I saw the painting on television, I was drawn to it. I loved it. My husband surprised me when he found it and purchased it for me. There’s just something special about new beginnings. When I was young, I couldn’t wait to turn 14. That was the age you had to be to attend our church’s youth dances. Then, I couldn’t wait to turn 16. You probably know why; so I could get my driver’s license. I felt freedom when I learned to drive. I was one of the lucky ones who got a car from mom and dad for my 16th birthday. It was a 1983 black and silver Dodge Charger, (if I remember the year correctly). Then, I couldn’t wait to turn 18, so I could move into an apartment with my best friend, Kandy. I remember realizing how much everything costs. I ate a lot of Ranch-Style beans and chips for dinner. I loved it all. All of those were new beginnings — new adventures. You may remember times in your youth when you jumped out of bed, excited to go somewhere new. Maybe you were excited to go to camp or Disneyland. Maybe you were going to be on a new baseball league or some other sport. Do you remember the feelings you had? Our spirit loves to experience new things. We love new beginnings!

As we get older, we often forget to try new things and can become complacent, leading to boredom. We may feel stuck and lack energy, thinking that life just unfolds without our input. This is not true. We are co-creating our lives whether we realize it or not. Even if we aren’t aware of it, we are sitting at the steering wheel. We don’t have to let life pass by without our engagement. We have the power to create a life we love by simply deciding to try something new. Ask yourself: “If I could design my perfect life, what would it be like?”

At first it may seem uncomfortable. You may even say to yourself, “I have no idea what I want to do with my life.” Just think about it for a minute. If anything were possible, is there something you’ve been wanting to experience in any area of your life? It could be your health, your relationships, or your career. Perhaps it’s your time and/or money freedom. What would you do if anything were possible? What if you could change any of those areas? You could live a life full of that same excitement and joy you had as a youth. It begins with deciding what you would love for your life.

Once you decide what you would love for your life, write it down. Write it down in present tense, as if it were happening now. Read it back to yourself. How does it feel living this life? If it feels expansive, you’re on the right track.

Once you have a clear picture of what you would love for your life, take a step in that direction. No matter how small, just take a step. “Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.”

What stops most people after setting goals or New Year’s resolutions is known as paradigms. These are belief systems. It’s patterns we create for ourselves. We have invisible boundaries. We think we can’t do it for reasons outside of ourselves. Our minds will tell us to do it later. It will tell us, we don’t really want this or that. It will tell us we are just fine where we are — even if we are miserable. We don’t want to get too far out of our comfort zones.

Our paradigms and our fear will stop us in our tracks. This is why it is important to have a coach or someone supporting you along the way. We need tools. We need accountability to help us get past our paradigms — and to help us bust through those invisible boundaries.

Embrace the possibilities that lie ahead. Allow your dreams to take root and flourish. Nurture them with passion and determination. Navigate through the uncharted territory of your journey. This is your moment to explore opportunities that are waiting for you. This is your moment to step into your new beginning!

~Many blessings to you and yours 🙂