It’s finally springtime here! I think to myself, what a perfect time to spring forward into the new beginnings. The spring season symbolizes new beginnings with its colorful transition from the long and harsh winter’s hibernation.
In the new beginnings, our surroundings feel exciting, new, and different. This also signals the beginning of a new life stage, a new career, a new relationship, a move, and such. It instills an aura of hope and possibility.
“ The start of something new brings the hope - anything is possible”
If we think about it, new beginnings are not just in the changing of seasons and the movement of the clock needle, but the change in one’s mindset.
New life comes from a new mindset and a new way of looking at things. Every new beginning follows an ending. Even the most negative and sad events mark a new beginning. By letting go of the past moments, one can embrace the present moment fully and be open to new possibilities. It begs the question, are we celebrating the demise of the old or looking
forward to the beginning of the new?
The ancient Hindu text, Bhagavad-Gita puts forward this two-faced nature of transitions and illuminates it with spiritual light. It explains that we are all eternal souls, and are on a multi-lifetime journey of spiritual evolution in which death is the beginning of a new phase.
Comparing our physical bodies to clothes, shifts our focus from the old to the new body one will acquire. By thus meditating on both the cyclic nature of material existence and the enduring nature of the Supreme Consciousness, one can see every ending as a new beginning.
The principle that endings are also beginnings applies to life’s phases too. Throughout life, one moves from one phase to another. School education is followed by university education or a real-life job. Life always provides one with growth opportunities, if only we look at it that way.
Someone once told me that “ Life is like learning to ride a bicycle.. Just when one learns to balance, the training wheels come off”. Similarly, when we learn the lesson life wants to teach us, life provides us with new challenges or opportunities for growth.
New beginnings are nothing but a philosophical reminder to live in the moment. Each moment brings with it a new possibility. Learning to live fully in the present moment turns each moment into a new beginning. So, how does one live with that intention each moment of life, as most of us are stuck either in the past or in the future?
The Wisdom of Yoga and mindfulness talk about focusing on one’s breath to calm one’s overactive mind that races all the time. By choosing to live in the present moment, wherever we are, we open the endless possibilities of new beginnings.
Each one of us is different and will discover the happy moment, the metaphor, or the casual comment that shows us what we need to do next.
These are some ways one can discover the path to their new beginning -
● An enlightening dream revealing a direction.
● A simple casual comment by someone may trigger an idea that is congruent with what one needs.
● A situation that may initiate some motivation or insight to move forward.
● A book or a movie that might help one make sense of one’s life and the direction.
New beginnings require one to stay focused on the possibility. Let us keep our minds open to new ideas, develop a growth mindset, take time to reflect, have patience, get support from others, and embrace the new beginning in our lives, wherever we might find ourselves.
References - The Bhagawad Gita - Easwaran
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