And so it begins...

It is finally here.

The first school holidays of the year. We are officially one-quarter of the way through 2018! 

A bit hard to believe hey?

Oh and Easter is upon us as well!

Whether you celebrate Easter or not, this part of the year is a great opportunity to reflect on the year so far and what you want out of the next quarter!

Whether you celebrate Easter or not, most people know the Easter story and have an understanding that the lesson is about new beginnings and new life.

In the past, I have listened to, learned and talked about the Easter story. But today as I sit here and I think about where I am at in 2018, I ponder the possibility that this next part of the year is another new beginning.

How can you have a new beginning in the middle of the year? 

The beautiful thing about new beginnings is that they can happen at any time of the year! We don't have to wait for a new year or new year's eve!

In the past, I have arrived at the end of March and thought - Holy Moly! How did I get to March already? What have I done with the first part of my year? I need to get a move on and do SOMETHING! ANYTHING!!

I admit, in the past, I have looked back from this time of the year and have spent a good amount of time complaining about the same things I complained about the year before - about not having done what I wanted or what I said I was going to do and having the perception that I had not achieved anything by now. I felt like I was failing myself once again and the people around me.

When you are living unconsciously - as I did for a long time - you do not realise that those moments are the golden moments of opportunity to not look back but to look forward instead and see all the possibilities of what could come next in life.

 New beginnings are everywhere if we open our eyes and heart to the opportunities available to us.

Sometimes we squeeze our eyes shut tight to avoid having to start and to avoid accepting the ending. Be brave and embrace the journey!

 Every moment is the start of the next big thing in your life. 

Often we don't realise that each and every moment is a single opportunity for a change in direction or step out into the new and away from the old. Keep your eyes and hearts open!

 Every new beginning has an ending and sometimes, we just have to be okay with that. 

Don't spend your time battling against the 'old'. Letting go really is challenging especially when we know the change is needed but we just don't want to! Be patient and loving and gentle with yourself as you move forward.

 Endings are not always a choice we want to make.

Sometimes endings are placed upon us as a way to force us to change. Sometimes they are out of our control and whether we like it or not, we need to embrace the suck of it all and step into the new beginning. We need to make our peace with it.

 Trust the journey.

Whether you believe in God or the divine direction of the universe or something else, a significant level of trust is required to know, feel and understand that you are on the right journey and path. We don't always understand why things end and new beginnings happen at the moment itself, but we often see it later.

We can not open new doors with old keys. We all need to be open to new beginnings and opportunities whether we like the idea or not! Life will become far less painful if we are simply more open! Trust me! I tried to hold onto the endings for dear life! It only brought more pain! It was not fun!

 What new beginning is happening in your life right now that you are feeling excited about?

 Is there something in your life that you already know is coming to an end but you are trying to hold onto?

 What is the best thing that would happen if you let go?

 What are you missing out on by not embracing the new beginning?

 Who can you take with you on this journey of new beginnings?

 Who might you inspire by embracing this new beginning?

New beginnings used to terrify me. I admit, they still make me feel nervous! But when life is so precious - as we all know - I am very quickly, learning to love and embrace new beginnings each day!

Oh....and most days - the new beginnings are found in the small moments, not always the big ones!

Every second brings a fresh beginning. Every hour holds a new promise. Every night our dreams can bring hope and every day is what you choose to make it.

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Let this Easter time, bring with it - new joy, new hope, new beginnings for a more loving and present 2018 for you.

Until next week....have a wonderful Easter with friends and family

Clarissa xo