"A baby is God’s opinion that life should go on." -Carl Sandburg When I walked into the hospital room and saw my younger brother, Neil, holding his brand new baby girl… a brand new sense of overwhelm hit me. I talk with people everyday that are struggling to move beyond their past and become what they are capable, but there is my brother’s arms was someone that had nothing to hold her back. 
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No track record of disappointment
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Full creative freedom
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No fear of change
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Total appreciation for the moment
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No one expecting her to be anyone other than who she is
Of course, I took her away from him instantly… after all, I’m the older brother and I needed to have a chat with my niece. Holding her close, I whispered to her about having the world at her feet. How she can decide to take her days anywhere she wants. The more I told her, the more I thought about how many people would change places with her in an instant… diapers and baby food not withstanding. How many people spend their time wishing they could go back and do it all over. To have the benefit of making decisions again, with the knowledge of how everything would turn out on the other side. I hear it all the time, people want a fresh start.
What we all need to understand is that every moment is a fresh start.
I know it sounds cliche’ and most of us don’t really believe it, but think of the ramifications if it is true. How big of a deal would it be if you could really decide, right now, that you were starting over?
- What would you do?
- How would you measure success?
- What would you change?
- How happy could you be?
Not starting over from the standpoint of firing up the flux capacitor and heading back in time (does that movie reference date me?), but from the vantage point of taking your life’s experience, deciding what you want your life to be, and beginning to move toward it. This kind of fresh start is available if you want it. Take these few steps to get moving.
- Decide what you would like to have in your life that is different than what you have now.
- Paint a mental picture of a scene in your life if that difference was reality.
- Identify one or two things that are in between you and that scene.
- Pick one action you can take right now, to move past an obstacle and toward your vision.
Unlike the birth of a baby, this kind of fresh start doesn’t require grunting, panting, or having my brother tell you to push harder. "You can do better than that!" (Great job of not killing him Meghan.) You only need to pick your path, make one progressive decision after another, and believe in the value of your dream.
Be your best,
PJ
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