Begin Again

Happy Monday! 

I hope self-care was at the top of your list this last weekend. There’s so much to enjoy and experience that it would be sad to think you missed an opportunity to refresh mind and body. On the other hand, perhaps the need was for spiritual renewal with some quiet alone time. Whatever your choice, it’s never too late to begin a new healthy practice to enrich your life.

As we’ve just passed the mid-year mark, I pondered what I’ve accomplished and strategized what the rest of the year might bring. Then, I thought of an old nursery rhyme called Michael Finnegan. The lyrics went something like this:

There was an old man named Michael Finnegan,

He had whiskers on his chin again.

They fell out and then grew in again,

Poor old Michael Finnegan.

Begin again. 

Several stanzas in the song reflect the unfortunate things that happened to the man and how he continued to have to begin again. Sometimes we get to this time in the year and begin to feel discouraged because our successes haven’t manifested, or the progress is slower than we’d hoped. Other times we become so disheartened that we want to give up. And, sometimes we need to recognize that the project parameters have changed, and we need to go back and revise our plan. During these times, we can become sad and unable to recharge for the next round.

But, there’s hope! I found this quote from an unknown author to be inspiring:

There’s an encouragement here that doesn’t minimize the fact that sometimes it’s in our best interests to start over. There’s a reassurance to foster new creativity, innovation, and courage by reminding us that we did learn from the last adventure. Perhaps the original plan didn’t come to fruition, but we can utilize the parts as we consider what we’ve learned to formulate a new plan. This way, we may avoid some of the earlier pitfalls.

Scripture has some pertinent verses to add to our thought processes:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

“And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also, he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5 (ESV)

Why not pause today and review the last six months from the perspective of what we’ve learned. Take some time to reflect on what went well and those elements that didn’t make our lists of best decisions. By taking time to gently analyze the positives and the negatives, we’ll learn what to avoid, what to minimize, and what we can reconfigure for a better outcome.

We do have the opportunity to make the next few months take a turn for the good, particularly if we embrace the chance to revise our strategies for better hoped outcomes. Who knows? Maybe something unique will spring from our reflection and produce even better results.

Have a fantastic week embracing the opportunities to begin again!

Be Well & Be Blessed!

Lucinda