The beginning of a new year invokes a feeling of a Fresh Start – the moment when you are called on to have courage to step into something different or new. It contains enough power to propel you into the next phase of your development. Just as the caterpillar cocoons and then becomes a butterfly or a seed sprouts into a tree, it is an evolution. It is expansion. It is growth. It is a Fresh Start.
Fresh Starts offer the possibility, hope, and excitement of adventure wanting to burst open. It’s a perfect time to reset what is needed to make a difference.
If the social media posts from the past week are any indication, it seems many of us are eager to embrace 2021 and make this year different. Last year was a tough year that stretched us beyond measure and took us into a dizzying swirl of uncertainty, pivots, decision-fatigue and grief. On the surface, it looks and feels like destruction.
However, much like the caterpillar, to the outer world, the cocoon doesn’t appear to be filled with life. And like the tree, the seed, in its expansion to become a tree, comes completely undone. If you look below the surface, you find an inner world filled with innate wisdom, value and action.
As grim as 2020 was, there were silver linings. After all, darkness cannot exist without light. We bore witness to new levels of cooperation as scientists came together for a common purpose to decode the virus. We connected and reconnected with friends and relatives across time zones; expanding our creativity by celebrating virtually the milestones we typically do in person.
As you step into the New Year, reflect and digest what occurred for you last year. Slow down and create space to explore and digest what occurred. Why? Because when you rush through Fresh Starts you don’t fully process the experience. Unprocessed experiences and emotions create anxiety and stress.
Navigating through a Fresh Start intentionally enables you to focus on what’s truly important and see your long-term goals more clearly. Most importantly, Fresh Starts help you see WHO you are.
What are you learning about yourself? It’s an important question to ask because Fresh Starts require you to look back in order to move forward; learning from what occurred so you may step across the threshold with greater wisdom.
I created a Year-End Reflections worksheet to usher you across the threshold so you have the capacity to navigate your Fresh Start. You can download this resource here.
Like the butterfly, we move through different life cycles and these cycles change us. Like the tree, our goal is to stay grounded while always reaching higher.
Here’s to making room for new growth, integrating your wisdom and taking action to make a difference in this world!
